Construction of 3,500 houses in three districts of West Bank settlements
Pal: “Violence and war will continue”
Saudi Arabia condemns attempts to Judaize the West Bank
Israel has begun full-scale expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank despite opposition from the United States. Saudi Arabia immediately began condemning the move, calling it “an attempt to Judaize the West Bank.”
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 6th (local time), the office of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that a plan to build 3,500 houses in the Maale Adumim, Kedar, and Efrat settlement areas of the West Bank was approved.
According to the plans, the core committee decided to move most of the homes to an intermediate stage of the planning process. Other houses are also awaiting full approval.
About 500,000 Israelis live in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The population of West Bank Palestine is approximately 2.7 million.
The Israeli right argues that Israel should permanently rule the West Bank. Palestinians view the West Bank as essential to building an independent state.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) Foreign Ministry condemned the settlement expansion plan as a “clear call for a continuation of the spiral of violence and war.”
Tensions have been rising in the West Bank since the war in Gaza broke out on October 7 last year. According to the United Nations, more than 400 Palestinians, including more than 100 minors, have been killed in “conflict-related incidents” across the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has arrested thousands of Palestinians in a mass detention operation aimed at rooting out militants, according to the Israeli military.
Minister Smotrich announced the decision to move forward with the housing plan after at least one Israeli was killed in a Palestinian shooting last month.
The US Biden administration is opposed to this plan. U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken strongly criticized on the 23rd of last month, saying, “Israeli settlements are not consistent with international law,” and “I cannot help but say that I am disappointed with this announcement.”
The United States considered Israeli settlements illegal for over 40 years, but the Trump administration overturned this in 2019. Secretary Blinken’s remarks represent a reversal of the previous government’s position.
Saudi Arabia, which demands recognition of an independent Palestinian state as a condition for normalizing relations with Israel, immediately opposed the approval of the plan.
“This move violates all international resolutions, international human rights law and the UN Charter and is contrary to efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region,” the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, condemning it as “an attempt to Judaize large parts of the West Bank, including Jerusalem.”
At the same time, he again called for a two-state solution with Israel based on its pre-1967 borders.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.