The Israeli Occupation Approves 8 new Settlement Projects in the West Bank and Jerusalem
Jerusalem24 – During the past few days, the occupation authorities approved new settlement plans that were officially announced on Thursday and published in the Israeli Official Gazette, in a race against time to establish and expand settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
The Israeli media reported that the Kiryat Arba council in Hebron city approved the construction of 372 new housing units in the local settlement area, including public buildings, educational institutions, commercial buildings, and public parks. This move came just a few days after the Israeli approval of building 11,000 units on the lands of the defunct Qalandia Airport in East Jerusalem, also known as the Jerusalem International Airport.
“The two-state solution is subjected to the most heinous process of sabotage because of Israel’s policy about controlling the Palestinian land during its accelerated annexation of the West Bank,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a press statement.
The land and settlement expert khalil Tafakji said that the subcommittee of settlements in the West Bank announced the approval of settlement plans to establish 1,058 settlement units, public buildings and institutions, on 800 dunums of Deir Dibwan lands, and 40 dunums of Beit Jala and Beitunia lands for the purpose of expanding streets.
In addition to 628 settlement units on an area of 403 dunums of the lands of the villages of Al-Sawiya and Qaryut in the site known as Jabal Al-Rahut, which is the settlement known as Eli.
The settlement sub-committee also announced plans to establish a new settlement neighborhood in each of the settlements of Ma’aleh Mikhmas, which is built on the lands of Deir Dibwan on an area of 800 dunams, and the settlement of Karnei Shamron, which is built on the lands of Deir Istiya and Kafr Laqif on an area of 18 dunams, to build 82 settlement units.
The projects also include the establishment of 286 settlement units in the settlement of Har Brakhah, 20 settlement units in the Badael settlement, and 28 in the Berkane settlement.
Among the approved plans are also the construction of buildings and public institutions and roads in the settlement of Kfar Adumim and the establishment of industrial areas, parks, an engineering facility and a commercial area in the village of Al-Isawiya.
