The anti-settlement watch group Peace Now has said that Israel’s settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territories (West Bank) increased by 62 percent after the coalition government of Naftali Bennett was formed.
“We can see a 62 percent jump in construction starts in settlements with the entry of the new government despite its promise that it would keep a status quo in everything regarding the occupation. The government policy mainly shows that it did nothing to stop construction” Peace Now said on its website on Friday.
Peace Now accused the Bennett-Lapid government of deepening the settlement project and the dispossession oppression and displacement of the Palestinian people on their own land and imposing various restrictions on them in Areas A and B of the West Bank in particular.
It also pointed out that the demolition of Palestinian homes and property saw a significant increase under the current Israeli government.
“As of the 6/6/22 the [Israeli army’s] civil administration had demolished 639 Palestinian owned structures in Area C causing 604 people to lose their home. This is a 35 percent increase compared to the average of demolitions in the Netanyahu years (474 structures per annum). In east Jerusalem there were 189 structures demolished and 450 Palestinians had consequently become homeless. This is a 59 percent increase compared to the Netanyahu years” the group stated.
In addition there are growing attempts to displace entire communities in Humsa and in Ras a-Tin in the Jordan Valley and in Masafer Yatta in southern al-Khalil (Hebron) according to Peace Now.
It also underlined that “the Bennett-Lapid government furthered a number of strategically lethal plans that especially harm the chance for Palestinian development and continuity the two-state solution and reaching a political agreement.”
“Among other plans the government promoted a new settlement in Atarot the E1 plan the expansion of the National Park around the Old City a new settlement near Ariel a plan that connects Har Homa and Givat Hamatos the beginning of the construction of a new settlement in Hebron (for the first time in 40 years) the completion of the plan in E2 and more” it explained.
“Under the Bennett-Lapid government there were six new illegal outposts founded: Givat Hadegel in the south Hebron Hills Karnei Re’em in the Salfit area Mevo’ot Jericho Farm north of Jericho Julius Farm in the north of the Jordan Valley and the Ohavey-Ya outpost west of Bethlehem” it added.
