West Bank
Israel continues to build settlements even after criticism from the USA
View of the Israeli settlement of Givʿat Seev near Jerusalem. Photo: Muammar Awad / XinHua / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The Israeli government waved through the housing estate in the occupied West Bank. The US criticizes the procedure sharply and fears further tensions in the area.
Despite clear criticism from the US about the continuation of Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, Israel has finally approved the construction of thousands of residential units.
3130 residential units in settlements have been approved, a spokesman for the responsible authority confirmed. On Sunday, the approval of around 1000 housing units for Palestinians in the West Bank should be discussed.
The US State Department on Tuesday clearly criticized the settlement expansion by the new Israeli government. One was “deeply concerned” about the latest announcements, said Foreign Office spokesman Ned Price in Washington. “We firmly reject the expansion of settlements.” This runs counter to efforts to reduce tensions and affects the prospect of a two-state solution. The EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell also expressed concerns about the current situation in a statement on Wednesday evening.
A spokesman for Israeli housing minister Seew Elkin announced on Sunday that tenders had been published for the marketing of more than 1,300 apartments. These include 729 apartments in the settler town of Ariel and 346 in the Beit El settlement.
During the Six Day War in 1967, Israel conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem, among others. Around 600,000 Israelis live there today in more than 200 settlements. In 2016, the UN Security Council called these settlements a violation of international law and called on Israel to stop all settlement activities. The Palestinians want to establish their own state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. The new Israeli government under Naftali Bennett was sworn in in mid-June.