Israel advances plans for 895 new West Bank settlement homes
The largest single plan would add 288 units to the Kedumim settlement, built on land belonging to the Palestinian village of Kafr Qaddum.
Israeli authorities advanced 11 settlement expansion plans across several West Bank governorates on Saturday, adding 895 housing units, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission said in its weekly report on settlement expansion that the plans combine new housing with industrial and commercial zones, changes to land-use designations and expanded building rights.
The commission said the plans follow three linked tracks: increasing the number of housing units, converting agricultural land and open areas to urban and industrial use, and expanding services that help settlements remain in place and keep growing.
In Qalqilya governorate, a plan for the Kedumim settlement's "Tzomet Vradim" neighborhood covers 158.4 dunums on land belonging to the Palestinian village of Kafr Qaddum, the commission said.
The plan includes 363 settlement units, of which 288 are additional, and the commission described it as the largest addition of units among the plans it monitored.
In Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorate, the commission said a plan for the Talmon settlement covers 65.1 dunums and includes 288 settlement units, 200 of them additional.
In Nablus governorate, a plan for the Alon Moreh settlement would add 83 housing units across 24.939 dunums by converting agricultural land into residential areas, roads and public open spaces, the commission said.
In Hebron governorate, a plan for the Beit Hagai settlement, south of Hebron city, includes 225 additional units across 189.476 dunums, the commission said.
The plans also cover the Gush Etzion Regional Council area in the southern West Bank, the commission added.
Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian land are considered illegal under international law, although Israel rejects this position.
