Palestininan News Network, PNN, reported on Thursday that Israel has unveiled a project to expand the settlement of ‘Ariel’ in the northern West Bank in two phases at the expense of large Palestinian land in the Governorates of Qalqiliya and Tulkarem.
This project, numbered ‘11134 / M-A ‘, will expand the settlement of Ariel in two phases. The first phase will be the building of 700 new housing units on large areas of the village of Kafr Lakef located between the towns of Azzoun and Jinsafut in the governorate of Qalqilya. The second phase of the expansion will be the building of 1400 of new housing units on large areas in Baket AlHatab, Ozba, Abu Hamada and Kafr Aboush in Tulkarem Governorate.
In the same context, Israeli bulldozers continue for the third consecutive day of work on the roads and land on the western side of the settlement of Rotem which was built on the territory of Wadi al-Maleh in the northern Valley.
A local Palestinian explained that a large force of the occupation army are surrounding the target area to protect the equipment and secure the work which accelerated during the past few days. He stressed that the Israeli scheme is aimed at emptying the area of Wadi al-Maleh and expelling the population as a prelude to finally take it over.
The local council in the Maleh valley stated that the settlement of ‘Rotem’ now controls most of Al
Khorba Al Farisieh Lands and all sources of water on them and there has been an escalation of attacks by settlers on the shepherds and the people of the area.
