Netanyahu pledges to go ahead with new settlement plan in West Bank
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to move ahead with a plan to create Israel's first new settlement in the occupied West Bank in more than 20 years, snubbing a recently passed UN resolution and global concerns over the issue.
"I made a promise that we would establish a new settlement," Netanyahu said on Thursday, adding, "We will keep it today. There are a few hours until then and you will get all the details."
Israeli officials have confirmed that Netanyahu was due to convene the cabinet later in the day to approve the new enclave.
The Israeli premier had said previously that he intended to build a new settlement for residents of a wildcat outpost in the West Bank known as Amona, which was evacuated under a court order in February.
In December last year, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed a resolution censuring Israel for its settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
It also said the construction of Israeli settlements had "no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law."
In recent weeks, Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with building new settler units, stressing that the Tel Aviv regime had no plan to limit settlement construction in East Jerusalem al-Quds.
Since the January inauguration of US President Donald Trump, who is a staunch supporter of Israel, the Tel Aviv regime has stepped up its construction of settler units on occupied Palestinian land in a blatant violation of international law.
Recent figures released by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics show that 2,630 settlement units were constructed in the occupied West Bank last year, marking a rise of 40 percent from 2015.
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About 400,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank which is home to 2.8 million Palestinians. This is while another 200,000 Israelis live in East Jerusalem al-Quds.
Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinians state, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
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