Israel: The Israeli government has passed a bill that would allow Israelis to resettle four illegal settlements in the northern occupied West Bank that were evacuated in 2005.

The second and third readings of the legislation were passed  in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, with a majority of 31 votes in support and 18 who voted against. The development could see Israelis resettle in the evacuated settlements of Homesh, Sa-Nur, Kadim, and Ganim, all of which are located around the Palestinian cities of Jenin and Nablus.

While the government has passed the amendment, the Israeli military must still issue a military order allowing Israelis to resettle in these areas. According to reports, between 650,000 and 700,000 Israeli settlers live in hundreds of illegal Jewish-only settlements and outposts, the majority built either entirely or partially on private Palestinian land, across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

The evacuated settlement of Homesh, in particular, has been the focus of tensions between Palestinians and Israeli settlers, who have consistently attempted to re-establish the site permanently.

While all Israeli settlements are considered illegal under international law, Homesh is also considered illegal under Israeli law, as the Supreme Court ruled that the land belonged to private Palestinian owners from the nearby village of Burqa.

The new bill, which would breach international law, comes amid a flurry of legislative activity that has caused mass protests across Israel.

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