Jerusalem: The Jerusalem Governorate has issued a warning concerning a newly proposed Israeli settlement project aimed at constructing 9,000 settler homes in the central West Bank. The governorate described the plan as a 'dangerous' move that threatens the geographical and demographic continuity between Jerusalem and Ramallah.
According to Anadolu Agency, the governorate's statement emphasized that the Israeli occupation authorities are targeting lands surrounding Jerusalem International Airport and adjacent areas for this settlement project. The project is seen as a direct threat to the connectivity between Jerusalem and the Palestinian city of Ramallah.
The proposed Israeli plan involves the development of nearly 9,000 settlement units within densely populated Palestinian localities such as Kafr Aqab, Qalandia, Al-Ram, Beit Hanina, and Bir Nabala. The statement further elaborated that this plan would deepen the separation and isolation policies imposed on these areas, thereby undermining any potential political resolution based on a two-state solution.
An Israeli committee is expected to convene on Wednesday to discuss furthering the plan, which could lead to the allocation of certain areas for the settlement project. The Israeli Finance Ministry has recently sought the transfer of 16 million shekels (approximately $5 million) to the Ministry of Environmental Protection for the alleged rehabilitation of polluted lands, including those at Jerusalem International Airport. This financial move is perceived as a step towards accelerating the settlement project.
The governorate has cautioned that the implementation of this plan would result in a settlement enclave that effectively separates northern Jerusalem from its surrounding Palestinian areas.
Earlier statements from the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, an official Palestinian entity, highlighted that Israel seized 2,800 dunams of land in the West Bank last November through various means such as squatting, expropriation orders, and border amendments.
The United Nations has consistently maintained that Israeli settlements within occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law, cautioning that such actions jeopardize the viability of a two-state solution. Moreover, a landmark opinion by the International Court of Justice last July declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.