The Palestinian National Office for the Defense of Land on Saturday revealed that the Israeli government is planning to legalize a settlement outpost called Netiv Ha’avot located in the vicinity of Gush Etzion settlement bloc between Bethlehem and al-Khalil.
The National Office said in a report that permanent houses instead of caravans will be built for the 15 Israeli families living in the illegal outpost.
According to the report the Israeli government has approved the construction of a new settlement road stretching from Beit Jala west of Bethlehem to Eliezer settlement built on Palestinian lands in al-Khader town south of the city.
The government has also ratified the establishment of 67 new settlement units on privately-owned lands in al-Khader town.
Israel’s settlement expansion and annexation policy has become an official policy openly practiced by the government and encouraged by the US administration.
Moreover the report noted the Knesset has okayed in the second and third readings a bill calling for applying Israeli law to academic institutions in the West Bank settlements.
The National Office for the Defense of Land stressed that this project is another step toward the annexation of the occupied West Bank to Israel.
Based on the National Office’s report the Israeli plan to annex the West Bank has been put forward in three proposals: the first is the annexation of Area C which constitutes 60% of the West Bank while the second is the annexation of Occupied Jerusalem and the eastern settlements such as Ma’ale Adumim in addition to about 3% of the West Bank lands that includes large settlement blocs like Gush Etzion.
The third proposal goes for the annexation of most of the West Bank settlements and it is considered the most viable in Israeli circles.
