Khaberni - The Israeli organization "Ir Amim" disclosed today, Wednesday, about a new settlement plan that entails building 2300 settlement units in the "Gilo" settlement, built on the lands of the citizens south of occupied Jerusalem, warning that this project will deepen the isolation of East Jerusalem from the south of the West Bank.
The organization explained that the "Planning and Construction Committee" under the occupation municipality in Jerusalem approved the plan on July 28, which includes the construction of 2300 settlement units on an area of about 20 hectares, or around 200 dunams, with expansion of the settlement southward towards Road 60, which connects Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
The organization added that the plan includes Palestinian private lands, among them at least 28 dunams that were seized under what is called the "Absentee Property Law," which the occupation authorities use to confiscate Palestinian properties.
The organization stated that this project is a continuation of settlement plans carried out by the occupation authorities in the "Givat Hamatos" and "Har Homa" settlements, aiming to entrench the geographical separation between East Jerusalem and the southern West Bank, isolating the city of Bethlehem from Jerusalem, along with imposing new settlement realities on the ground.
It pointed out that the targeted area includes Palestinian agricultural lands and olive groves, warning of their potential exposure to uprooting and demolishing with the commencement of the project.
The researcher at "Ir Amim," Aviv Tatarsky, said that the plan "separates East Jerusalem from the Bethlehem area and enhances Israeli control over one of the most strategically sensitive areas."
This plan comes amid accelerating Israeli settlement activity in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank, as the Israeli Ministerial Council last month approved the allocation of 1.3 billion shekels for the development and creation of new settlements, while the Israeli government has announced its approval for dozens of settlements since its formation.
