Tel Aviv, Israel (AP) – Israel granted final approval on Wednesday A controversial settlement project In the occupied West Bank, the two of them effectively cut territories, and Palestinians and rights groups say it could destroy hope for a future Palestinian state.
Reconciliation development of E1, an open area of land east of Jerusalem; Under consideration For over 20 years, but frozen due to our pressure Previously under management. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank as illegal and an obstacle to peace.
Former settlers leader, far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotric, threw approval as responsibilities for the Western countries who announced their plans Recognize the Palestinian state The past few weeks.
“The Palestinian state is being erased from the table with actions rather than slogans,” he said Wednesday. “Every village, every neighborhood, every housing unit is another nail in this dangerous idea co..”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with Israel, vowed to maintain the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Western Gaza Strip, which annexed the war-rising Gaza Strip.
The expansion of Israeli settlements is part of An increasingly tragic reality for Palestinians On the occupied West Bank, as the attention of the world focuses The War in Gaza. There has been a significant increase in attacks by Palestinian settlers, evictions from Palestinian towns, Israeli military operations, and checkpoints that suffocate movement freedom, and several attacks from Palestinian attacks on Israel.
More than 700,000 Israeli settlers currently live West Bank East Jerusalem.
The location of E1 is important as it is one of the last geographic links between the main West Bank city of Ramallah in the north and Bethlehem in the south.
The two cities are 22 kilometers (14 miles) apart, but Palestinians traveling between them must take a wide detour and pass through multiple Israeli checkpoints. I’ll spend my time On a trip. The hope was that in the ultimate Palestinian state, the region served as a direct link between cities.
“E1 reconciliation has no purpose other than to hamper political solutions,” says Peace, an organization tracking the expansion of settlements in the West Bank. “The consensus among friends around the world is to strive for peace and a two-state solution, but a government that has long lost its trust will undermine the national interest and we are all paying the price.”
As the process moves quickly, infrastructure operations on E1 could begin in the coming months and home construction could begin in about a year. The plan includes around 3,500 apartments adjacent to the existing settlement of Male Admim. Smotrich also welcomed the approval of 350 homes in the settlement of Ashael near Hebron at the same meeting.
Israel’s government is dominated by religious and supernational politicians like Smotrich and has close ties with the reconciliation movement. The Minister of Finance has been given Cabinet-level authority over the settlement policy; They vowed to double the settlers’ population. On the West Bank.
