Israel starts dismantling settler outposts

ISRAELI troops began dismantling an uninhabited West Bank settlement outpost yesterday, taking a first step toward meeting part of its obligations under a US-backed peace plan.

The outpost is one of dozens dotting isolated hills in the West Bank whose removal is called for by the "road map" to Palestinian statehood by 2005.

But Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, facing growing opposition from his constituents, has been evasive about whether he would remove all outposts targeted in the plan.

After settler leaders refused to remove the outpost themselves, soldiers moved in and tore down the empty trailers at Newe Erez South outside the Palestinian town of Ramallah. Settlers did not resist.

"We won't lay a hand on soldiers. They're our brothers," settler leader Yehoshua Mor-Yosef said.

But, he added, "if we are evacuated, we'll return the night after and establish 10 new outposts."

Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas was struggling to implement a key obligation under the plan reining in anti-Israeli violence.

Mr Abbas said he would not use force against militant groups under any circumstances, despite their stated determination to derail the peace plan with attacks on Israelis, including two weekend shootings that killed five soldiers.

Mr Abbas defended himself against complaints at home that he has been too conciliatory to Israel, including in a speech at a Mideast summit last week, and that Israel has given little in return.

In his first news conference since taking office April 30, Mr Abbas said he has coordinated every move with Yasser Arafat a barb at the veteran leader who has said the summit yielded no achievements.

Mr Abbas reiterated his condemnation of violence, including Sunday's shooting attacks. "We must do our utmost to end the bloodshed," he said.

Neve Erez South appeared to be the first of over a dozen Jewish settler outposts the military plans to remove in coming days.

Army commanders met yesterday with settler leaders, gave them a list of outposts 14 of them, mostly uninhabited, according to press reports and asked them to remove the sites voluntarily.

Settler leaders said they would not cooperate, but would not use violence in confronting soldiers.

Neve Erez South consisted of two empty trailers, the Israeli settlement watchdog group Peace Now said.

The outpost is 200 meters from a settler enclave where families have been living in shipping containers for three years.

The Israeli military only said the dismantling of outposts has begun.