Israeli Settlers and Ministers March to West Bank Outpost Amid Tension and Security Concerns

Thousands of Israelis, including at least seven Cabinet ministers, marched to an evacuated West Bank settlement in a show of support for settlement building on occupied lands. The march was led by hard-line ultranationalist Jewish settlers and threatened to further raise tensions that have been heightened by days of unrest across the region over a contested Jerusalem holy site. The Israeli government has made settlement expansion a top priority, despite international opposition. Violence has erupted in recent weeks, including the killing of a 15-year-old Palestinian boy and an Israeli woman, and rocket fire by Palestinian militants from Gaza, southern Lebanon, and Syria.