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The Israeli government announced that it will build houses in the disputed area of the West Bank. The decision causes outrage from Palestinians who see the move as a new affront on the part of their Jewish neighbors. The United States and the international community are concerned about the Israeli decision to promote new construction in these territories.
Israel announced the opening of tenders for around 1,300 new homes in Jewish settlements in the disputed area of the West Bank. The Israel Land Authority will build the new houses on the disputed site between Israel and Palestine, which it regards as its own territory occupied by its neighboring country.
The tender raises tensions in the already fractured relationship between Palestine and Israel. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the new settlement plans could have a “catastrophic impact on the chances of achieving peace” between the two states.
For Mohammed Shtayyeh, Palestinian prime minister, “the settlement programs that have been announced by Israel place the world, and especially the United States, facing great responsibilities to face and challenge the fait accompli, which Israel systematically imposes.”
729 units are slated to be built in Ariel, north of the West Bank, and 346 in Beit El. The UN says these settlements have “no legal validity” and calls this occupation a “flagrant violation” of international law.
Israeli Housing Minister Zeev Elkin said that “after a long period of stagnation in construction, I welcome this tender. I will continue to maintain Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria”, which are part of the West Bank.
Israel will discuss building more homes
Israeli authorities will discuss further plans this week to build another 3,000 homes at the site. This is the first major decision made regarding the settlements by Prime Minister Naftalí Bennett’s coalition government of far-right, center, left and Arab-Israeli parties.
Former President Donald Trump had endorsed the construction of houses on this disputed West Bank land during his administration. Trump also recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The Joe Biden government raised the alarms and saw in the new construction an obstacle to reaching a peace agreement between the parties. Most countries consider Israel’s settlements in the West Bank illegal and also do not recognize Jerusalem as the Jewish capital.
Palestinian NGOs accused of terrorism
Along with the announcement of the new constructions, six Palestinian NGOs were declared by the Israeli government as terrorists. The move drew criticism from the Palestinians, as well as the United Nations and human rights watchdogs.
The director of the Palestinian group Al-Haq, Shawan Jarabin, reproached the Israeli Defense Minister, that “terrorists are the terrorists Gantz, their government and their officers. Therefore, this will not harm us. Terrorists cannot call people terrorists. “
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh also rejected the decision, saying it was illegal under international law. According to the Israel Defense Ministry, the groups have ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a left-wing faction with an armed wing that has carried out deadly attacks against Israelis.
Among those designated as terrorist groups are Addameer and Al-Haq, who document alleged rights violations by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
With the new decree, Israel will be able to close the groups’ offices, confiscate their assets and arrest their staff in the West Bank, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said in a joint statement. The United Nations Human Rights Office in the Palestinian territories said it was “alarmed” by the announcement.
With EFE, Reuters and AFP.
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