JERUSALEM

The Israeli government on Thursday agreed with settlers to vacate an outpost settlement in the occupied West Bank on the condition of keeping their structures and mobile homes in the area, according to local media.

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation network said a compromise was reached to vacate the illegal Eviatar outpost.

Under the agreement, the settlers will leave the outpost, south of Nablus city on the Sbeih Mountain, by Friday afternoon.

According to the broadcaster, the Israeli government will determine the legal status of the outpost in the near future.

Settlers told the network that they plan to establish a religious institute in the area, which will remain a military-controlled area.

Last month, the Israeli army decided to tear down the outpost as it was constructed in May without military permission.

There was no comment from Palestinian authorities on the Israeli decision.

The construction of the Eviatar outpost has triggered Palestinian protests over the past two months during which four people were killed and hundreds injured by Israeli fire.

According to the Israeli Peace Now rights group, settlers have established 135 outpost settlements without government permission in the West Bank, while 132 settlements were built in the West Bank with approval from the Israeli government and 13 others in occupied East Jerusalem.

International law regards both the West Bank and East Jerusalem as occupied territories and considers all

Jewish settlement-building activity there illegal.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara