JAKARTA - A total of 2,749 new residential units in the occupied West Bank will be built by Israeli authorities within six weeks, according to the Israeli anti-residential group.
If this week's plan is approved, it means as many as 2,749 residential units have been submitted in one and a half months, said Peace Now, the organization that monitors residential activity, in a statement.
The organization noted that with this speed, by 2025 it could record a "record figure" in the construction of settlement units in the West Bank, with an average of 1,800 units per month.
According to Peace Now, the High Planning Council (HPC) of the Israeli Civil Administration is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to approve the construction of 372 residential units in the Beitar Illit settlement, south of Jerusalem City.
"This meeting is part of a new trend in the form of a weekly session to advance settlement development plans, while there is no similar discussion to approve the development for Palestinians in Area C," the organization explained.
Area C, which covers about 60 percent of the West Bank's occupied territory, is under full control of Israel.
The 1995 Oslo Agreement divides the West Bank into three regions: Area A under the full control of Palestine, Area B under the control of Israel's security and Palestinian civil and administrative control, as well as Area C under full civilian, administrative and security control of Israel.
Peace Now says that since PM Benjamin Netanyahu took office at the end of 2022, the number of settlement units approved in the West Bank has hit a record high.
Pada 2023, HPC menyetujui 12,349 unit hunian angka tertinggi sepanjang masa. Pada 2024, 9,884 unit hunian disetujui, sambungnya.
The anti-residential group explained that the change in approval frequency to weekly was caused by a policy change introduced by the Netanyahu administration.
In June 2023, approval requirements from the defense minister for each settlement planning stage were abolished.
Previously, settlement development plans required initial approval from the head of defense authority.
However, in recent years, ministers have limited planning sessions to about four times per year, with thousands of units approved at each session.
However, in recent weeks, the process has changed significantly, where HPC is now holding weekly gatherings to approve hundreds of settlement units in each session.
"This systematic approach aims to normalize settlement planning and reduce public and international attention and criticism," Peace Now said.
The international community, including the United Nations, considers Israeli settlements illegal under international law.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned that continued expansion of settlements threatens the sustainability of a two-state solution, which is considered the main framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel's decades-long occupation of the Palestinian territories illegal and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
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