New Jerusalem Light Rail Connecting Settlements To Start Operating In 2025
Jerusalem24 – A new light rail project connecting settlements built on occupied Palestinian lands in East Jerusalem is scheduled for completion in 2025.
The plans involve the creation of five new railroads with a total of 27 kilometers of tracks and 50 stations, to start operating by 2025, in order to connect the settlements of Gilo near Bethlehem, Al-Masharif mountain (Mount Scopus) to the north of Jerusalem, Ein Kerem to the west, and Nabi Yakoub to the north.
Ziad Hammouri, manager of Jerusalem’s Center for Social and Economic Rights (JCSER), told Palestine TV, “This is not the first time this has been done[…] It’s a tool for legalizing the settlements and presenting them as part of the Holy City, it’s all part of the Judaization and control of the city.”
The project will cost an estimated NIS 5.1 billion.