Israel approves construction of nearly 800 homes

Israel has approved the construction of 764 new housing units across three settlements in the Occupied West Bank, according to a report from Al-Monitor via Reuters on December 10th.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich issued a statement following the plan’s approval, stating that Israelis will “continue the revolution.”

He added that the construction plans are part of a “clear strategic process of strengthening the settlements and ensuring continuity of life, security, and growth … and genuine concern for the future of the State of Israel.”

Smotrich, of the Religious Zionism Party, has long advocated for the expansion of Jewish-only settlements across the West Bank and Occupied East Jerusalem.

This is despite settlement expansion being widely recognised as illegal under international law, not least because the process would make a two-state solution practically impossible.

An estimated 700,000 Israelis live in roughly 160 settlements across the West Bank and Occupied Jerusalem, with new outposts being established and expanded by settlers.

On September 3rd, Smotrich announced plans to annex 82% of the West Bank as part of the E1 settlement plan, which would build 3,400 housing units for settlers, and leave six isolated Palestinian enclaves outside of Israeli jurisdiction.

Smotrich described the E1 settlement expansion plan as “Zionism at its best” and explained that the project will strengthen “sovereignty in the Land of Israel.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed off the E1 plan, which aims to connect the West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim with settlements in East Jerusalem.

Maale Adumin is one of the largest settlements in the West Bank, with an estimated 40,000 inhabitants. The residents were broadly supportive of plans for settlement expansion when Netanyahu visited the settlement in September, with one resident called Dany Hadar saying that the expansion “should have been carried out at least ten years ago.”

Another Maale Adumin resident, called Eda, said that “since October 7, 2023, we need to reinforce our security and connect to Jerusalem.”

Israel has delivered more than 100 new settlements within the West Bank, with some resembling towns and suburbs with apartment blocks, malls and parks.

During 2022, Israel confiscated over 113,000 dunams (113 square kilometres) of land in the occupied Palestinian territories, where 950 Palestinian homes were destroyed that year, too.

Increasing the Jewish presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is part of a broader strategy to maintain a Jewish demographic majority in the region, which leads to the displacement of Palestinian communities.

Al-Monitor via Reuters, Maghrebi.org