Israel threatens to use force against settlers

ISRAELI military officials yesterday said special commando units, unmanned spy planes and cellphone-jamming equipment could be used to enforce a moratorium on new settlement construction in the West Bank, deepening a showdown between the government and Jewish settlers.

But enraged settlers leaders vowed to resist the plan, prompting Defence Minister Ehud Barak to warn that settlers would face the full wrath of the military if they continue to flout the 10-month construction slowdown, the Associated Press (AP) said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the settlement slowdown last month in an attempt to restart peace talks with the Palestinians. But the Palestinians have rejected the plan because it allows for construction to proceed in 3,000 settlement homes already under construction in the West Bank and does not affect east Jerusalem, which Palestinians hope will be their capital.