The Israeli parliament (Knesset) passed the first reading of a new bill on Monday, allowing illegal Jewish settlers to occupy outposts in the West Bank vacated since 2005, The New Arab reported.

Forty Knesset members voted to support the draft legislation, while 17 lawmakers stood against the long-threatened move.

“There is no longer any justification to prevent Israelis from entering and staying in the evacuated territory in northern Samaria,” said the introductory text to the law, which would open the door to the resettlement of the Homesh, Ganim, Kadim, and Sa-Nur, all built on private Palestinian land in the West Bank.

Judaea and Samaria is a term used by Israel for the West Bank, which has been occupied since 1967.

The new bill is part of Netanyahu’s electoral pact with extreme-right parties that support continued settlement construction in the West Bank, which is illegal under international law.

(The New Arab, PC)