Israel to discuss construction of over 2,000 illegal settler units in West Bank

According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, housing units are expected to be built in eight settlements across the occupied territory, and the topic will be debated in two upcoming sessions of the so-called Higher Planning Council.

The commission’s head, Moayad Shaaban, said the first session, set for November 3, will address four small-scale plans for the Giv’at Ze’ev settlement, built on Palestinian land and located five kilometers northwest of al-Quds.

The second session, scheduled for November 5, will discuss major expansion plans for the settlements of Giv’at Ze’ev (al-Quds), Avnei Hefetz and Enav (Tulkarm), Kfar Tapuach and Etz Efraim (Salfit), Rosh Tzurim (Bethlehem), Mitzpe Yericho (Ariha and the Jordan Valley), and Ganei Modi’in (Ramallah and al-Bireh).

Shaaban noted that the proposed plans include the development of three substantial settlement neighborhoods in Avnei Hefetz, Enav (Tulkarm), and Rosh Tzurim, situated within the Gush Etzion bloc.

He stated that Israel plans to construct around 2,006 new housing units on roughly 1,072 dunams (1.072 square kilometers) of Palestinian territory.

Communities like Kfar Tapuach in Salfit, Enav and Avnei Hefetz in Tulkarm, as well as Mitzpe Yericho in Ariha and the Jordan Valley, are set to undergo substantial growth and development.

Shaaban emphasized that these actions directly challenge the international community and defy United Nations resolutions condemning settlement activities.

He referenced UN General Assembly Resolution 10/24-S, which demands an immediate end to Israel's unlawful occupation, as well as UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which asserts the illegality of settlements. Additionally, he highlighted the consistent stance of numerous human rights and international organizations opposing colonial expansion.

Shaaban stated that following the onset of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, Israeli planning authorities reviewed approximately 355 master plans concerning the construction of 37,415 settlement units across 38,551 dunams of land. Out of these, 18,801 units have been approved, while 18,614 are still under review.

More than 700,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Zionist regime’s occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds.

The international community views the settlements as illegal under international law and the Geneva Conventions due to their construction on occupied territories.

The UN Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in several resolutions.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Zionist regime’s decades-long occupation of historical Palestine illegal.

The ICJ demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds. It was mere words.