Nine Jewish settlement outposts dismantled

"At this stage there are 15 wildcat outposts that must be dismantled, and nine have already been evacuated during the night," he told Israeli public television's first channel.

Five of the outposts in question are inhabited.

Tap Here to Add The Daily Star As A Trusted Source

"That will continue, in line with developments on the ground," he added.

"That depends on what the Palestinians do. There are wildcat settlements that must be legalized.

"All Israeli governments have authorized settlements since June 1967," when the West Bank and Gaza Strip were conquered by Israel, Boim said.

"If the political settlement process with the Palestinians makes progress, we must establish our borders in line with Israel's interests, and the settlements are a central element for setting these borders," he added said.

The first evacuations sent a shockwave among the settlers, who vowed to fight the government, albeit only through legal means.

"The Settlers' Council announces the start of a struggle against the clearing of outposts, against the Middle East roadmap and the surrender to terror," the council said.

"We will carry on a determined, non-compromising but non-violent struggle until (Prime Minister Ariel Sharon) backs down," it added.

There are more than 100 settlement outposts in the West Bank. More than 60 of them have been built since Sharon came to power in 2001 and are due to be dismantled under the terms of the roadmap, which Israel accepted.

Meanwhile, President George W. Bush said Monday that he was hopeful that the latest anti-Israel attacks by Palestinian hardliners would not sidetrack the "march to peace" in the Middle East.

"I'm optimistic that responsible leaders have now got the message that we must combine to work to fight off the terror attacks, so that a peaceful Palestinian state can emerge," he said.

Bush, who held his first summit last week with prime ministers Ariel Sharon and Mahmud Abbas, said both sides were committed to the so-called "road map" to peace, which calls for such a state as early as 2005.