srael's High Court rejected a government bid to delay the evacuation of an unsanctioned Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank beyond a December deadline, in a case that has drawn international concern.
Amona settlement is under a court order to be evacuated by December 25 since it was built on private Palestinian land. But right-wing Israeli politicians have called for about 40 families living on the outpost to be allowed to remain.
"The evacuation must occur before December 25," the court said in its ruling on Monday. "The court rejects the delay requested by the state."
Whether the government moves ahead with the demolition of the outpost has been seen as a test case of whether it will heed international calls to halt continued settlement growth in the West Bank.
Israel's government, which had sought a nine-month delay to Amona's demolition, is seen as the most right-wing in the country's history, and key members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition advocate settlement building, while openly opposing the idea of a Palestinian state.
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