Israel Approves Hundreds of Settlement Housing Plans

Israel has advanced plans to approve nearly 800 housing units in West Bank settlements days before the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden.

The Higher Planning Council of The Civil Administration on Sunday gave its final approval for 265 housing units and preliminary approval for another 415 in several Jewish settlements built on land captured during the 1967 war, according to reports. The housing units are in 12 settlements, including Tal Menashe, the home community of Esther Hurgan, 52, a mother of 6, who was killed by a Palestinian terrorist while she was jogging in the nearby Reihan Forest in the northern West Bank. More than 200 of the units are slated for the West Bank outpost of Nofei Nehemia, and about 400 units in Beit El, Evyatar, Shavei Shomron, Oranit, the Barkan Industrial Zone, and Karnei Shomron.

During the same meeting the HPC discussed approving a plan to legalize 70 existing housing units as well as an additional 70 new housing units in the Palestinian village of Hizma, located just north of Jerusalem, according to the Peace Now NGO.

In 2020, 12,159 housing units were approved for Israeli settlements, while some 245 housing units, many of which were already built, were approved for Palestinians, according to Peace Now.