Jerusalem, September 07: Despite widespread international condemnation of Israel settlement activity, Tel Aviv officially approves the construction of hundreds of new homes on Palestinian land.
The Israeli defense ministry announced Monday that Defense Minister Ehud Barak has authorized the construction of 366 housing units in five settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank.
The new construction project –decided by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu– comes ahead of Israel’s so-called planned freeze in the Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem (al-Quds), which Tel Aviv describes a “strategic pause”.
Netanyahu had earlier said that his government will not allow new settlements, but wants to continue building within existing ones. Israeli officials say they will continue the construction of 2,500 housing units currently under construction even during the freeze under the pretext of meeting “the natural growth”.
The international community including Israel’s staunch ally, the US, have called for a complete end to the expansion of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land which is widely viewed as the main obstacle to peace.
Palestinians and the Arab League have repeatedly said that they will engage in negotiations with Tel Aviv only after a full stop to the illegal work.
Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem (al-Quds)during the Six Day War in 1967 and under international laws, the expansion of Jewish settlements in the territories is considered illegal.
—–Agencies