El Matan

El Matan (Hebrew: אל מתן‎, lit. Towards Matan or God's Gift) is an Israeli outpost in the West Bank, located around a kilometer south (and inside the official boundaries) of Ma'ale Shomron, under the jurisdiction of the Shomron Regional Council. The outpost was established in 2000 allegedly on state lands by a group of religious youths from nearby settlements (Karnei Shomron and Ma'ale Shomron).^[1] It is home to an estimated population of 48 (2008),^[2] around 16 families and a small number of singles, both religious and non-religious Jews. El Matan is considered an unauthorized outpost by the Israeli government and is illegal under Israeli law.^[3] The international community does not differentiate between Israeli outposts and Israeli settlements authorized by the Israeli government.^[4] The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, though the Israeli government disputes this.^[5][6]

References