The Israeli occupation authorities have approved plans to build thousands of new settlement units in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli "Peace Now" movement.
The Israeli government has approved plans to build some 2,300 new housing units in the occupied West Bank, the latest in a series of plans that have accelerated since US President Donald Trump took office. "Peace Now," said the approval of settlement building "is part of the disastrous government policy aimed at preventing any possibility of peace." "The planning committee of the Israeli Defense Ministry approved during its meeting two days ago 2,304 housing units undergoing various stages of approval procedures," the statement said. According to the movement (which is concerned with monitoring settlements in the Palestinian territories), "the approval of the construction of settlements is part of the government policy aimed at putting obstacles to the option of a two-state solution, and aims to annex part or all of the West Bank." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed ahead of the April elections to annex settlements in the occupied West Bank. The construction of settlements in the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Golan is contrary to all international principles and the Charter of the United Nations. The most recent of these resolutions was UN Security Council Resolution 2334 of 23 December 2016, which called for an immediate and complete cessation of settlement activity in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. According to Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights organizations, the Israeli government is tightening its grip on Palestinian construction in Area C, and demolishes many Palestinian buildings on the grounds that they are not licensed. On the other hand, the region itself is witnessing an Israeli settlement boom, represented by a significant increase in settlement construction over the past years.
