JERUSALEM: The Israeli government has pushed forward illegal construction plans for 3,500 settler homes in the occupied West Bank, a hardline minister said Wednesday.
Minister Orit Struck confirmed the administrative advancement of nearly 3,500 settlement units, declaring the fulfillment of promises to expand settlements in response to recent violence in the West Bank.
The move follows Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s pledge to bolster settlements. The planned homes are set to be built across Maale Adumim, Kedar, and Efrat, regions located east and south of Jerusalem. This development was condemned by the Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now, highlighting the ongoing expansion of settlements despite international opposition.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently reiterated that Israeli settlement expansion is “counterproductive to reaching enduring peace” with the Palestinians. Settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law, as they were established following Israel’s capture of the territory in 1967.
Despite international criticism, Israel has continued to expand settlements across the West Bank in recent decades, with settlements now accommodating over 490,000 Israelis alongside approximately three million Palestinians in the territory.
