RAMALLAH (Dispatches) -- 
Palestinians in the Galilee town of Majd al-Krum continued their heavy mobilization against the recent formation of an illegal settler outpost that has been protected by Israeli authorities, as residents try to pursue legal action in a bid to prevent “Judaization.” 
Settlers from the Tekoa settlement in the occupied West Bank’s Bethlehem made their way to the Al-Rus area of Majd al-Krum days ago and established the outpost.
As a result, residents have taken to the streets to confront the settler expansion into the Galilee. 
According to Arab48, “the vast majority of the land on which the settlement outpost was established belongs to a resident of Majd al-Krum, while another portion is controlled by the Israel Land Authority.”
“Hundreds of dunams surrounding the area also belong to residents of Majd al-Krum. This has raised concerns that the land could become subject to confiscation if the settlement outpost is legalized,” the report added. 
Heavy Israeli military protection has been provided to the settlers in the outpost, and a checkpoint has been set up to prevent the owners of the land from accessing it.
Arab48’s reporting reveals that the settlers claimed they were goat herders and that Israeli authorities said they would only be there until the Jewish New Year, which ended on Sunday.
Majd al-Krum Local Council head Salim Salibi warned the outpost has grown gradually in recent weeks, from a handful of settlers to more than 30.
“The struggle to remove the settlement outpost continues, and we will not accept turning it into a fait accompli,” the town’s local council said in a statement, coinciding with the protests. 
Israel’s fascist finance minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened the Palestinian protests in a social media post, posting a video of the latest protests.
“Calls of Long live Palestine in the heart of the Galilee are an expression of the loss of governance and the need for a comprehensive change in the way Israel handles an entire region that has been conquered. It is time for us to look squarely at a real threat emerging from the north and the south,” Smotrich said. 
The settler expansion into the Galilee comes as Smotrich is leading a violent, widespread campaign of de facto annexation in the West Bank. 
Settler violence against Palestinians is at its highest, as land grabs and the rapid establishment of new settlements continue.