Israel will build 1,355 new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, the Ministry of Construction announced on Sunday.
“Bids for 1,355 housing units in Judea and Samaria (Israel’s name for the West Bank) were published under the direction of Construction Minister Zeev Elkin,” a statement said.
The new homes are added to those announced in August by authorities, more than 2,000, which this week are expected to receive definitive approval from the Ministry of Defense.
“Strengthening the Jewish presence (in the West Bank) is essential in the Zionist vision,” said Elkin, a member of the right-wing New Hope party.
The houses will be built in seven Jewish settlements, including 729 in Ariel (northern West Bank), 346 in Beit-El (near Ramallah) and 102 in Elkana (northwestern West Bank).
Nearly 475,000 settlers live in the West Bank, where 2.8 million Palestinians also live.
Israeli colonization of the West Bank and annexed East Jerusalem, illegal under international law, has continued under all Israeli governments since 1967.
In recent years the process has accelerated under the leadership of former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
His successor, Naftali Bennett, has led a heterogeneous coalition since June that ranges from radical right to left-wing parties.
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