Khaberni - Israeli media reported that the Higher Planning Council is set to approve the construction of 1973 settlement units in the West Bank during its next session.
It was added that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that approval had been given for the construction of about 30,000 settlement units since the beginning of the year.
Yesterday, the occupation authorities officially gave the green light on Wednesday for the "E1" settlement plan, which connects Jerusalem with the Maale Adumim settlement, and disrupts the Palestinian geographical continuity from north to south, a step described by observers as a strategic shift in the settlement map.
The plan includes the construction of about 3400 residential units, in an area that had been the subject of repeated political promises since the 1990s, where Ariel Sharon emphasized its importance in 1990 to create Jewish continuity and link Jerusalem with Maale Adumim, while later Ehud Olmert and Benjamin Netanyahu also announced their intentions to build, but the plans remained on paper due to international and political pressures.
With the return of President Donald Trump to the White House in 2025, work on the plan resumed, overseen by Finance Minister and Israeli Defense Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who activated engineering and legal teams to complete all procedures, leading to the official authorization of the plan for the first time.
Internationally, Europe, Jordan, and Egypt condemned the decision, warning of its impact on the prospects for a political settlement and the two-state solution, while Washington welcomed the move, considering it a "strengthening of security and stability in the region".
