Nearly 1,000 New Settler Homes Issued in occupied West Bank

West Bank, MINA – Israel has issued tenders for nearly 1,000 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank, the Times of Israel reports.

According to Israeli rights group Peace Now, the planned 974 settler homes will expand the illegal settlement of Efrat by 40 percent, further restricting the growth of the nearby Palestinian city of Bethlehem. The project, approved last year, will increase the land area of ​​Efrat by 160 hectares, expanding its footprint by about ten percent.

Hagit Ofran, head of settlement monitoring group Peace Now, noted that construction could begin after the contracting and permit approval process, which could take at least a year.

Peace Now, which monitors settlement activity, accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of accelerating settlement expansion while Israelis are still held captive in Gaza.

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“While the Israeli people [turn] their attention to the release of the hostages and an end to the war, the Netanyahu government is operating ‘on steroids’ to establish facts on the ground that will destroy any chance of peace and compromise,” Peace Now said in a statement, as reported by Middle East Monitor.

The international community, including the United Nations, considers all settlements and outposts illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In July, the International Court of Justice ruled that the occupation was “illegal” and must be dismantled as soon as possible.

The number of settlers in the occupied West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, has soared to more than 800,000 in more than 170 settlements, in addition to hundreds of outposts.

Settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories have seen a significant increase since the Israeli government under Netanyahu came to power in December 2022. []

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)