Israel To Establish Over 3,300 Settlement Units In Occupied West Bank

The Israeli authorities intend to approve within the next two weeks the establishment of more than 3,300 settlement units in the occupied West Bank, according to official Israeli media.

"The relevant committee is expected to meet within two weeks to approve the establishment of 2,350 housing units in the Maaleh Adumim settlement, about 300 in the Kedar settlement, and 700 units in the Efrat settlement," the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said on Friday.

The decision comes in response to the shooting attack on Thursday near the Maaleh Adumim settlement, which resulted in the death of an Israeli soldier and the wounding of at least eight others.

"A section of the road leading to Al-Za'im checkpoint east of East Jerusalem will be closed to Palestinian movement for a period of at least two weeks," it added.

If the settlement project is approved, it will be the largest settlement decision since the Israeli war on Gaza on Oct. 7.

The current Israeli government, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is known for its great support for settlement in the Palestinian territories.

Estimates indicate about 700,000 Israeli settlers live in roughly 300 illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

All Jewish settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal under international law.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

More than 400 Palestinians have since been killed and 4,400 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice over its deadly onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which has left more than 29,500 people dead.

In an interim ruling in January, the Hague-based court ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi -