Peace Now movement stated, Wednesday evening, that the Israeli Administration Supreme Planning Council has approved the construction of 2,191 housing units in West Bank settlements.
The movement explained, in a statement, according to Al Ray, that 87% of the housing units will be built in isolated settlements that are located outside of the settlement blocs. It noted that about 1,908 units are planned to be built east of the Apartheid Wall, in the occupied West Bank, and 283 units in settlements west of the Wall.
While the Higher Planning Committee approved plans for building 1,100 housing units in the West Bank, Walla reported that the committee seeks to back the building of 450 additional units.
The committee approved 150 housing units at Hebron Mount, in the southern West Bank, 300 units in the Givat Ze’ev settlement, north of occupied Jerusalem, 300 units in the Neveh Daniel settlements, “Karmei Tsur”, in Gush Etzion settlement bloc south of Bethlehem.
It also discussed plans to build 129 units in the settlement of Avnei Hefetz, 121 housing units in the Yitzhar settlement, to the south of Nablus, which is considered the stronghold of extremist settlers, 55 units in the settlement of Tzofim, and 42 units in the Alfei Menashe settlement.
The committee also discussed plans to establish two industrial zones near the settlements of Avni Hefts and Betar Illit.
Peace Now added that that two plans seeks to legitimize two outposts and grant them a legal status, namely, “Ibi Hanahal” and “Gafa’ot”, while another plan calls for the establishment of a new settlement near the settlement outpost of “Mitzpeh Danny”, in the form of an internal educational institution that constitutes housing.
Israeli authorities have issued plans to build 5,618 housing units in 2018, including 4,672 housing units in “isolated” settlements east of the Apartheid Wall. This confirms Israel’s rejection of a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
