Zionist occupation authorities announced Tuesday night the construction of 3,000 settlement units in the occupied West Bank, the fourth such announcement in the less than two weeks since the inauguration of US President Donald Trump.
“Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have decided to authorize the construction of 3,000 new housing units in Judea-Samaria,” the defense ministry said in a statement, using a term Israel uses for the West Bank, a Palestinian territory it has occupied since 1967.
Since the January 20 inauguration of Trump, Tel Aviv has approved the construction of 566 settler units in three settlement areas of east al-Quds (Jerusalem) and announced the building of 2,502 more in the West Bank.
On Thursday last week, Israeli officials gave final approval for 153 settler units in east al-Quds.
They had been frozen under pressure from the previous US administration of president Barack Obama, which had warned that settlements could derail hopes of a negotiated two-state solution.
Trump however has pledged strong support for the Zionist entity, and Netanyahu’s government has moved quickly to take advantage.
“We are building and we will continue building,” Netanyahu said last week, referring to settlement approvals.
The prime minister has said he sees the Trump presidency as offering “significant opportunities” after facing “huge pressures” from Obama on Iran and settlements.
Source: AFP
