Israeli occupier approves 31 illegal settler homes in Hebron

Palestine

Published: 2020-10-27 16:46

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 12:51


Israeli occupier approves 31 illegal settler homes in Hebron
Israeli occupier approves 31 illegal settler homes in Hebron

The Israeli occupation military authorities gave the green light to build 31 housing units for illegal settlers in a highly sensitive neighborhood in Hebron, according to the Israeli occupation Peace Now movement, a non-governmental organization opposing the building of settlements in the occupied territories.

About 800 illegal Jewish settlers live in Hebron under the protection of the IOF.

The city of Hebron includes the site of the Ibrahimi Mosque that is venerated by Muslims and Jews. The Israel occupier has established dozens of settlements inside and outside the Old City, the largest of which is Kiryat Arba, which was built on the eastern side of the city in 1968, and is a stronghold of the extreme right.

The Peace Now movement said, "The Israeli authorities informed the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday that they will issue permits (to build the 31 units) within a week."

However, the movement indicated that the court informed the authorities that it could not proceed with the project until the legal challenge was answered. It set a hearing on January 31, 2021, for the appeal requests.

The COGAT Unit for the Coordination of Israeli Government Activities in the Palestinian Territories of the Israeli Ministry of Defense took steps to approve new settlement units in central Hebron in 2017.

Peace Now and the Hebron Municipality filed an appeal against this scheme in court.

In 2018, the Israeli occupation government allocated more than 21 million shekels (about $ 6.2 million) for the scheme, according to the Peace Now movement.

"The state rushed to issue building permits despite the fact that the court explicitly ruled that work should not begin until the hearing is decided," the movement’s statement said.

"But the state made it clear to the court that its decision to prevent the conduct of business does not prevent the issuance of building permits," she added.

Peace Now linked the timing of the approvals to the US presidential elections next week.

The administration of US President Donald Trump is not opposed to building settlements in the occupied West Bank, unlike the position of his predecessor, Barack Obama. His Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, declared on November 18 that "the United States no longer considers that Israeli settlements in the West Bank violate international law," a position that is inconsistent with the international consensus.

Peace Now said, "The attempt to pressure the building of 31 settlement units before the American elections is an immoral act that threatens Israel's national interests and its relations with the outside world."

About 450,000 Jewish settlers live in the occupied Palestinian territories among the roughly 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.