Israel to build new illegal settler units in East al-Quds

Wednesday, 15 June 2016 4:54 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 15 June 2016 5:18 PM ]

A Palestinian flag flies on the roof of a temporary apartment of a Palestinian family after they were evicted from their home in the Silwan neighborhood of East al-Quds (Jerusalem) on October 20, 2015. © AP

Israeli municipal authorities have issued the permission for the construction of new illegal units for settlers in the occupied East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

The project to construct a three-story building for Israeli settlers in the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan, located on the outskirts of the Old City of al-Quds, was approved on Wednesday.

The new illegal building will go up near the illegal Beit Yonatan settlement building, which was constructed in 2002. Currently, 10 Israeli families live in the unlawful dwelling despite court orders to evacuate and seal there.

Wasel Abu Yousef, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), condemned the approval of the construction project.

The Tel Aviv regime “is moving forward to implement its program to bring Israeli settlers and settle them in the place of the Palestinian residents to change the demographic situation in the Holy City," Abu Yousef said.

Israel's anti-settlement Peace Now group also announced that local Palestinians plan to appeal against the Israeli municipal authorities’ decision.

The photo shows a general view of Israeli construction cranes and excavators at the site of new housing units in the illegal settlement of Neve Yaakov in the occupied East al-Quds (Jerusalem) on March 29, 2016. © AFP

Over half a million Israelis live in more than 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank, including East al-Quds.

All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. However, Tel Aviv has defied calls to stop the settlement expansions in the occupied territories.

A Palestinian protester runs in front of a line of Israeli forces during clashes following a demonstration against the regime’s expropriation of Palestinian land in the town of Kafr Qaddum, near the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, on May 6, 2016. © AFP

The occupied territories have also witnessed heightened tensions since August 2015, when Israel imposed restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds in an alleged bid to change the status quo of the holy Muslim site.

At least 213 Palestinians have lost their lives at the hands of Israeli forces in what is regarded as the third Palestinian Intifada (uprising) since the beginning of last October.

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