The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate announced that a plan for a new settlement had been submitted in an area adjacent to Palestinian homes south of Jerusalem. The plan, named “Nofi Rahel” and submitted by Israel’s regional planning and construction committee, envisages the construction of 650 homes on an area of approximately 27 dunums.
The governorate noted that one dunum is equivalent to approximately 1,000 square meters and said the project was part of a series of settlement plans in the city.
The statement said the risk posed by the plan was not limited to the number of homes and that the project’s location would directly affect residents’ daily lives.
The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate linked the plans to a settlement policy aimed at restricting the presence of Palestinians in the area and hindering its urban development. The governorate argued that efforts were being made to create new facts on the ground through the expansion of settlements.
Three projects in East Jerusalem
Ir Amim, an Israeli left-wing civil society organization based in Jerusalem, also announced on Monday that three major settlement projects had been advanced in East Jerusalem in recent weeks.
The organization said the three projects included more than 3,400 homes in total and were being considered part of efforts to strengthen control over Jerusalem.
The legal status of the settlements
The United Nations and many countries around the world consider Israeli settlements established in the occupied Palestinian territories to be contrary to international law. The settlements are considered to weaken the prospects for a two-state solution.
The Israeli Peace Now movement estimates that approximately 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the occupied West Bank and approximately 250,000 live in settlements in East Jerusalem.
