Israel advances plans to deliver 974 West Bank homes

Israel has issued a tender for the construction of almost 1,000 more settler homes in the occupied West Bank, according to an anti-settlement watchdog, Asharq Al-Awsat via The Associated Press reported on February 17th.

Peace Now, an Israeli advocacy group, says the development of 974 new housing units would enable the Efrat settlement’s population to expand by 40%, further obstructing the development of Bethlehem. Hagit Ofran, who leads the group’s settlement monitoring efforts, said construction can start following the contracting process and issuing of the permits, which may take at least another year.

Israel has delivered more than 100 settlements in the West Bank, including fully-developed communities that bear a resemblance to small towns and suburbs, with apartment blocks, malls and parks.

More than 500,000 settlers are in the occupied West Bank, which has a population of around three million Palestinians. These West Bank settlers have Israeli citizenship, while the military rules over Palestinians with the Palestinian Authority administering population centres.

Major human rights groups claim the West Bank has an apartheid system. These allegations have been rejected by the Israeli government.

Peace Now has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of pushing for settlement construction while Israeli hostages remain in captivity following their capture in the Hamas-led attack on October 7th 2023.

“While the people of Israel (set) their sights on 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 the chance for peace and compromise,” the advocacy group said in a statement.

Asharq Al-Awsat via The Associated Press