The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) have approved plans for the construction of hundreds of new settler homes in Jerusalem in defiance of international condemnation of land expropriation and settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Israeli media outlets said Monday that the local planning and construction committee in Occupied Jerusalem has given the green light for two plans to build 641 units along al-Khalil (Hebron) Road.
The first plan will be located close to Talpiot neighborhood in southeastern Jerusalem while the second is situated in Shaarei Zion neighborhood. The plans include other buildings such as a synagogue and health and industrial facilities.
Peace Now which monitors settlement activity in the West Bank said in a statement on August 6 that Israeli authorities had issued approvals for 2304 housing units for Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
On July 31 Israeli officials approved the construction of 6000 new settler units in the West Bank’s Area C where the Israeli army has full control over the management of resources planning and construction and strictly limits Palestinian construction or development.
Area C accounts for more than 60 percent of the occupied West Bank and would form a significant part of a future Palestine state under the so-called two-state solution.
More than 600000 settlers live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
The UN Security Council has adopted several resolutions condemning Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied territories.
