Israel authorities move forward with plans to build over 2,166 settlement homes

Israeli authorities are moving forward with plans to build over 2,000 homes in the occupied West Bank. The higher planning council for Judea and Samaria approved the plans on the homes Wednesday according to a report from the office of the Coordinator for Governmental Affairs in the Territories.

The council which met in February, is slated to meet again Thursday. This comes amidst Israel’s suspension of plans to annex any West Bank settlements as part of a deal with UAE. This decision has quelled the fears of some settlers.
Gush Etzion Regional Council Head Shlomo Ne’eman said: “The mission to develop communities in Judea and Samaria continues to be one of the key issues for the State of Israel and the entire nation in this era, and we are grateful for the right to be at the forefront here in Gush Etzion.”

Ir Amim a group that focuses on Jerusalem within the context of the Iraeli-Palestinian conflict. Warned that approval of the plans was a form of “de facto annexation” and according to them “along the lines laid out by the Trump Plan.”

According to reports homes in question on Wednesday and Thursday are 1,100 units near Jerusalem with the largest single project totaling 560 homes at the Har Gilo settlement seeing approval. This would increase the small settlement from 1,568 to 2,128.

Plans for 200 new homes in Metzad settlement were also approved, including an additional 120 homes in Peni Kedem. Metzad is one of the 15 settlements that is under President Trump’s peace plan that if gone through will become an enclave in a future Palestinian state.
Ne’eman added: “Sometimes we take our prime minister to task, which we feel is justified as a result of our disappointment in postponing the application of sovereignty over our country. But now something tangible is happening – we are building and developing our communities…”