Israel will build 2,500 additional homes in the
settlements in the occupied West Bank territories, the Israeli
Defense Ministry announced. Most of them will expand the existing
settlement areas.
The plans have been authorized by Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and are
intended to allow the settlements “to maintain regular daily
life,” the ministry said in a statement. “It will be one
of the largest industrial zones in the West Bank, in which we are
planning to set up warehouse and fuel storage infrastructure, along
with other elements,” the statement reads.
The news comes days after Israel announced a similar
expansion of housing units in East Jerusalem.
The Israeli settlement policy goes against
international law and has been the subject of much criticism from
other nations, including the US under the Obama administration.
Observers believe that the announcements, made in the wake of Donald
Trump’s inauguration last Friday, are intended to signal Israel’s
expectation of support from the new US president.
The ministry said that 100 of the homes would be built
in the town of Beit El, Reuters reported. This settlement has
received funding from the family of Trump's son-in-law, Jared
Kushner, according to Israeli media.
On Monday, Netanyahu reportedly told members of his
security cabinet that he had decided to lift all restrictions on
Israeli construction in East Jerusalem, which were put in place under
diplomatic pressure, Haaretz newspaper wrote, citing senior officials
briefed on the situation. The PM also announced his plans for moving
forward with settlement expansion in the West Bank, according to the
paper.
Source:
Comments
Post a Comment