Israel decides to build 1,800 settlement units in the West Bank

On Thursday, the Israeli authorities agreed to build about 1,800 new homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank, less than a week before the crucial legislative elections for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political future.

The Israeli Ministry of Defense said that the Higher Planning Committee of the Civil Administration in the West Bank agreed to build about 1,800 housing units.

"We agreed today to build several housing units in the settlements, and we will continue to do so in the future," said Defense Minister Naftali Bennett.

"We are not waiting, we are doing, we will not give a single centimeter of the land of Israel to the Arabs, for this reason housing must be built," he added.

For his part, the head of the Yesha settlement settlement Council, David Al Hayani, declared, "This decision enhances the Israeli presence, and we are happy with that. Both of us will go to vote, and we expect the elected government to continue developing settlements as it is now."

Settlement acceleration
Within one week, the Israeli authorities pledged to build more than 10,000 homes in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu pledged to build 3,500 settlers' homes in Area E1, referring to the land on the outskirts of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank and where Palestinian Bedouin tribes live.

In the event that Israel builds settlements in this area between Maale Adumim and Jerusalem, the West Bank will be divided into two parts, which will prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state connected with each other, according to the Palestinians and NGOs.

Five days ago, the Israeli Prime Minister pledged to build thousands of new homes in settlement neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians and Western embassies were quick to condemn.

Netanyahu promised to build 2,200 new housing units in the Har Homa settlement (Jabal Abu Ghneim) established in 1997, as well as 3,000 homes for "Jewish residents" in Givat Hamatos in occupied East Jerusalem.