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Reuters: How two Israeli brothers are driving a West Bank settler land grab
Reuters found the brothers’ network has expanded with permits, funding and military coordination, while settlers have displaced at least 434 people since 2022.
Brothers Eliav and Harel 'Coco' Libi are rapidly expanding unauthorized West Bank farm outposts through Libi Construction, which is building a factory for prefabricated structures aided by military coordination and government permits.
Following the October 7, 2023 attacks, the Israeli government shifted policy to support accelerated settlement expansion, funding Ahavat Gilad with up to $2.6 million over three years to supposedly prevent violence among settlers.
At least 434 Bedouin herders have fled areas near Libi-associated outposts since 2022, while settlers have seized water resources and confiscated 700 hectares of land around Duma, according to displacement data.
International sanctions from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, and Norway targeted the brothers in May and June, with the UK accusing them of 'acts of aggression and violence against Palestinian people.'
Defense Minister Israel Katz described the outposts in February as a 'fortress that strengthens our adherence to our historic homeland,' signaling an official strategy of imposing 'practical sovereignty' over the West Bank.