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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 settlement structures aided by military coordination and government permits.
Following the October 7, 2023 attacks, the Israeli government shifted policy to support accelerated settlement expansion, approving up to $2.6 million in funding for Ahavat Gilad to 'prevent violence' among youth.
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.
Five nations—the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, and Norway—imposed coordinated sanctions in May and June, accusing the brothers of 'acts of aggression and violence against Palestinian people' and facilitating forced displacement.
Defense Minister Israel Katz described outposts as a 'fortress that strengthens our adherence to our historic homeland,' reflecting an official strategy of imposing 'practical sovereignty' as settlements systematically absorb the West Bank.