The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has announced its intent to seize hundreds of dunums of Palestinian land in the east of Qalqilya in the West Bank for settlement construction.
Qalqilya governor Rafi Rawajba on Wednesday said that the IOA sanctioned a decision to appropriate about 1008 dunums of land belonging to Palestinian citizens near the illegal settlement of Alfei Menashe.
Rawajba added that the seized land would be used to carry out a plan announced in January 2020 to build 1406 housing units in the areas of Wadi Asala Daher al-Manaf Qatayin al-Sahel and al-Manafes in eastern Qalqilya.
Last December the IOA had also announced a plan to expand Road 55 for Jewish settlers near the settlement of Alfei Menashe and seize dozens of dunums of agricultural land for that purpose.
