RAMALLAH, (PIC)
The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) seized 8 square dunums (about 3 square miles) of land in the Jordan Valley in the West Bank for the establishment of hundreds of settlement units, an Israeli media outlet reported on Friday.
“8,000 dunums (8 square kilometers) in the Jordan Valley have been allocated as Israeli lands for the construction of hundreds of residential units, in addition to an area designated for industry, commerce, and employment,” the Israel Broadcasting Authority stated.
It explained: “Planning the residential units in the area announced as state lands currently may take about a year, and it will require political-level approval.”
The authority quoted Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who signed the confiscation decision, as saying: “Issuing declarations on state lands is an important and strategic matter.”
He added, “This declaration will allow the continuation of building and strengthening the Jordan Valley. At a time when there are those who seek to undermine our rights in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and the country in general, we are strengthening settlements through serious and strategic work throughout the country.”
There has been a discernible uptick in settlement activity in the West Bank since Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was formed at the end of 2022.
Nearly 800,000 Israeli settlers are living in illegal settlements in the West Bank, including Occupied Jerusalem.
