Israel allows construction of thousands settler of homes in Jerusalem
(MENAFN) Israel has authorized the construction of 1,300 housing units in settlements located south of occupied East Jerusalem, according to reports from Israeli media on Wednesday.
Citing an Israeli channel, reports said that the Special Planning and Building Committee in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc unanimously approved the project earlier in the week.
The decision came shortly after US President Donald Trump commented on Israeli settlement activity, telling reporters on Oct. 24, “Don’t worry about the West Bank. Israel’s not going to do anything with the West Bank.” His remarks followed the Israeli parliament’s preliminary approval of two bills proposing the annexation of the West Bank and the Ma’ale Adumim settlement bloc — a move that would further cut off East Jerusalem from nearby Palestinian areas and divide the territory.
The new plan reportedly marks a major expansion in the Har HaRusim area, south of the Alon Shvut settlement, southwest of East Jerusalem. It includes not only residential units but also public infrastructure such as schools, parks, and commercial facilities to serve nearby settlements.
The Gush Etzion Regional Council welcomed the approval, calling it “an appropriate response to the large number of residents seeking to live in the area.”
According to reports, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has been accelerating settlement development and land appropriation across the West Bank ahead of next year’s elections, in what critics see as an effort to cement control and hinder the creation of a Palestinian state.
Since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government came to power in late 2022, plans for roughly 48,000 settlement units have been advanced — averaging around 17,000 per year.
In August, authorities also granted final approval for the controversial “E1” project, which involves about 3,400 housing units near Ma’ale Adumim. Rights groups have warned that the plan would deal a “fatal blow” to the two-state solution by severing the northern and southern parts of the West Bank and isolating East Jerusalem.
The UN has consistently reaffirmed that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law and pose a major obstacle to peace efforts. Palestinians continue to demand East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, in line with international resolutions rejecting Israel’s occupation and annexation of the city.
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