The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) on Wednesday approved the construction of hundreds of illegal settlement units in east Jerusalem the first such step since US President Joe Biden took office in January.
According to the plan 2540 housing units for Jewish settlers are to be built on annexed lands in the Palestinian districts of Beit Safafa and Sharafat with the aim of creating territorial contiguity between the two major settlements of Har Homa (Jabal Abu Ghneim) and Givat Hamatos in the south of east Jerusalem.
Haaretz newspaper quoted Israel’s municipality in Jerusalem as saying that the district planning and building committee approved the construction of 540 housing units in Har Homa and 2000 units in Givat Hamatos.
The project will also include roads transport infrastructure and public spaces.
In this regard Moshe Lion head of the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem made remarks today that applauded the step as “a great day for Jerusalem… especially for the young families” according to Haaretz.
“I am happy and proud to place another stone of Zion on the way to building Jerusalem.”
Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law and Biden had already stated his position against Israel’s settlement activity and land grab in Palestine describing such practices as “eroding” the prospects of a two-state solution.
