Israel’s Security Cabinet on Thursday approved a plan to establish 13 illegal new settlements in the central occupied West Bank, prompting Palestinian officials to warn that the move would further fragment the territory and isolate East Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings, Anadolu reports.
Israel’s Channel 7 reported that the Cabinet approved the construction of the new illegal settlements in the “Binyamin” regional area, with the implementation of the first phase expected to begin in the coming months.
According to the report, “the Binyamin Regional Council” plans to launch “the first phase” of the project by establishing between four and six new illegal settlements, backed by investments worth millions of shekels.
The Jerusalem Governorate condemned the decision, saying it forms part of a broader Israeli policy aimed at expanding illegal settlements and severing East Jerusalem from the rest of the occupied West Bank.
In a statement, the governorate said the plan seeks to create “new geographical realities on the ground, particularly in areas northwest of Jerusalem, west of the Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorates, and along the eastern slopes toward the Jordan Valley.”
