JERUSALEM, Feb 17: Israel has put out a tender for the construction of nearly 1,000 more settler homes in the occupied West Bank, according to an anti-settlement monitoring organization.
Peace Now reports that the creation of 974 new housing units would lead to a 40% increase in the population of the Efrat settlement and further impede the expansion of the adjacent Palestinian city of Bethlehem. Hagit Ofran, who oversees the group’s settlement monitoring efforts, stated that construction could begin following the completion of the contracting process and permit issuance, which could take at least another year.
Israel took control of the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, during the 1967 Middle East war. The Palestinians seek to establish their future state in these territories and view the settlements as significant obstacles to peace—a stance that is widely supported internationally.
During his presidency, Donald Trump provided unprecedented backing for the settlements. Israel has also continued to expand its settlements under Democratic administrations, which have been critical yet rarely took substantial steps to restrain such developments.
Over 100 settlements have been established by Israel throughout the West Bank, ranging from hilltop outposts to fully developed communities that resemble small towns and suburban areas, complete with apartment buildings, shopping malls, and parks.
More than 500,000 settlers reside in the occupied West Bank, which is also home to approximately 3 million Palestinians. While settlers hold Israeli citizenship, Palestinians live under military governance and are governed by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority in population centers.
Major human rights organizations have characterized the situation as apartheid, an accusation that the Israeli government has denied, insisting that the West Bank represents the historical and biblical homeland of the Jewish people and opposing Palestinian statehood.
Peace Now, which advocates for a negotiated two-state resolution to the ongoing conflict, has criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration for continuing settlement construction while hostages taken during Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, remain captive in the Gaza Strip.
“While the people of Israel focus on securing the release of the hostages and ending the war, the Netanyahu government is aggressively working to change the on-ground realities that will undermine any chances for peace and compromise,” the organization stated in a press release. (AP)
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