Construction work on the Israeli settlement of Ramat Shlomo in the West Bank. Photo: AFP/VNA
According to Ha'aretz newspaper, Israel's Planning Council in charge of construction in the West Bank has granted permits to build 5,623 new homes in several settlements, including 1,057 in Eli, where two Palestinian gunmen opened fire last week, killing four Israelis.
In a press release, Peace Now, an organization that monitors Israeli settlement activity, said that with the decision, 2023 will see the highest number of new housing approvals. According to official figures, more than 13,000 housing units have been approved for construction in settlements since January, more than the 4,427 approved for construction in all of 2022.
Observers say the move could further escalate tensions between Israel and Palestine. The settlements are located in the West Bank, which Israel occupied in the 1967 Middle East War. Palestinians and much of the international community see the expansion of settlements as a major obstacle to peacemaking between Israel and Palestine.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller expressed "deep" concern about the new move by the Israeli government on June 26, 2023. Speaking to reporters, Mr. Miller said that US officials have clearly expressed their opposition to Israel's moves to promote the construction of settlements. Mr. Miller emphasized that Washington believes that these settlements are an obstacle to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue.
The most recent round of peace talks between Israel and Palestine have been stalled since March 2014 due to deep disagreements over Israeli settlement building as well as security and border issues.
On the same day, June 26, 2023, a spokesman for the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, emphasized that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is the only solution to achieve security and stability in the Middle East. This statement was in response to an earlier statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that Israel must prevent the Palestinians from achieving an independent state.
Mr. Abu Rudeineh affirmed that "the state of Palestine exists, is recognized by more than 140 countries and only needs the occupation to end to realize independence".
Source: VNA/Tin Tuc Newspaper
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