Gaza, MINA – The Jerusalem Governor’s Office warned Monday that a newly approved Israeli settlement expansion project will forcibly displace approximately 7,000 Palestinian residents in the occupied West Bank, Anadolu Agency reported.
The announcement comes as tensions escalate following Israel’s decision to revive the controversial E1 development plan near Ma’ale Adumim settlement.
Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees settlement activities, approved plans last week for constructing more than 6,900 new settler units.
The project aims to connect Ma’ale Adumim with Jerusalem while severing Palestinian territorial continuity between Ramallah and Bethlehem.
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Palestinian authorities condemned the move as a colonial scheme that will isolate 22 Bedouin communities, particularly affecting Jabal al-Baba and Wadi Jamil villages near Al-Eizariya.
The United Nations has repeatedly declared Israeli settlements in occupied territories illegal under international law, warning they undermine prospects for a two-state solution.
Israeli peace organization Peace Now described the E1 project as potentially delivering a “knockout blow” to peace efforts by effectively bisecting the West Bank and further isolating East Jerusalem.
The timing of this decision appears linked to recent announcements by several nations, including the UK, France, and Australia, regarding their intentions to recognize Palestinian statehood during upcoming UN General Assembly meetings.
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Palestinians maintain East Jerusalem as their future capital, citing international resolutions rejecting Israel’s 1967 occupation and 1980 annexation of the city.
Violence in the West Bank has intensified since October 2023, with the Palestinian Health Ministry reporting at least 1,014 Palestinians killed and over 7,000 injured by Israeli forces and settlers.
The settlement expansion follows last month’s landmark International Court of Justice advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation illegal and calling for evacuation of all West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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