The Israeli occupation authorities on Wednesday approved the construction of 2070 settlement units in the West Bank according to Peace Now movement.
Israel’s War Minister Avigdor Lieberman last week announced his intention to submit plans for 2500 settlement units in the West Bank.
Haaretz newspaper earlier Wednesday reported that the Civil Administration’s Higher Planning Council is expected to approve the construction of 92 housing units in Kfar Adumim settlement on the same day.
These settlement units will be located less that a kilometer from the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar whose demolition was approved by the Israeli Supreme Court last week.
According to Haaretz the plan slated for approval covers an area of 122 dunums. It is part of a larger plan comprising 322 housing units on 660 dunums which passed the first stage of its approval process in February 2017. The new neighborhood will be called Nofei Bereishit.
The Jahalin the residents of Khan al-Ahmar have lived in the area since Israel expelled them from the Negev in 1948. They have been in their current location since before Kfar Adumim was established. Despite this Israel refused to include them in the master plans it prepared for Israeli settlers. That’s why the village is deemed illegal by Israeli courts.
The Hebrew newspaper said that the Higher Planning Council’s subcommittee on settlements is set to discuss at Wednesday’s meeting 31 plans for new settlement units in the West Bank.
For example the paper said the subcommittee will discuss expanding neighborhoods of Nokdim settlement which is where Lieberman lives. The plan would add 76 new housing units covering an area of 88 dunums which sit on lands belonging to the village of Arab al-Taamra.
The committee will also approve hundreds of settlement units including 166 units in Alei Zahav 129 in Avnei Hefetz 53 in Halamish 19 in Baduel 17 in Rafafa 13 in Tabuh and 5 in Maale Hafir.
