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Israel Surprise Approves Construction of Nine West Bank Settlements

Israel Surprise Approves Construction of Nine West Bank Settlements

12 (EUROPA PRESS)

The members of the Security Cabinet of the Israeli Council of Ministers have approved this Sunday the construction of nine new settlements in the West Bank in locations where there were already settlements considered illegal even by the Israeli authorities.

The decision would be in retaliation for the death of three Israelis in an intentional outrage perpetrated by a Palestinian mentally ill last Friday in a colony in East Jerusalem and represents a clear challenge to Washington, which had called on the Israeli government not to take this measure, according to the Israeli newspaper ‘The Jerusalem Post’.

The decision includes the legalization of the settlements of Avigayil, Beit Hogla, Givat Harel, Givat Ha-Roeh, Givat Arnon, Mitzpe Yehuda, Malchai HaShalom, Asa-el, Sde Boaz and Shaharit on the proposal of the leader of the Religious Zionist Party and minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, and the leader of the Jewish Power party –Otzma Yehudit– and Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir.

“The Israeli government today sends a clear message to all our enemies: in the face of your attempts to harm us and weaken our ties to our land, we deepen our roots, build and erect settlements. Terrorism does not weaken us. On the contrary, when it tries to harm us damage will be met with a response of more construction and development in all parts of our country,” said Ben Gvir. “We made a promise before the elections and today we begin to fulfill it,” he stressed.

The security cabinet has also announced an increase in security and the presence of agents in Jerusalem, as well as more actions against supporters and instigators of terrorism. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has assured that they will act specifically against suspects and that there will be no collective punishment.

“The proper response to terrorism is to strike hard and further deepen our roots in our country,” Netanyahu said ahead of the security cabinet meeting.

The Government of the Palestinian Authority has already condemned the initiative approved by the Israeli Government through a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that warns of a “dangerous escalation” in the “aggression” and denounces an “open war against the Palestinian people, Jerusalem and the holy places”.

This measure “crosses a red line” and denounces that it involves “systematically undermining the options of reviving the peace process.” Thus, it has requested the intervention of the international community in general and the United States in particular so that the decision is not applied.

The West Bank –including East Jerusalem– and the Gaza Strip –from which Israel withdrew in 2005– were militarily occupied by Israel in the 1967 war along with the Golan Heights –in dispute with Syria–.

In total, some 700,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank, some of them in colonies considered legal by Israel and some in settlements considered illegal even by the Israeli government. International Law considers the colonization of militarily occupied territories a war crime.

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