Israel green-lights construction of 100s new settler units in occupied West Bank

Israeli authorities have approved plans for the construction of hundreds of new settler units in the occupied West Bank, despite an agreement reached with the United Arab Emirates last month on normalization of ties, which is claimed to have put a freeze on Tel Aviv's plans for further annexation of Palestinian territories.

Hassan Bureijia, head of the Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Bethlehem, told Palestine’s official WAFA news agency on Monday that officials have given the green light for plans to build 500 units in Tzur Hadassah settlement, located 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) southwest of Jerusalem al-Quds.

Bureijia added that the new structures will be constructed on occupied Palestinian land in the nearby Wadi Fukin village.

He highlighted that the Israeli regime is pushing plans for the massive expansion of its settlements in Bethlehem, through further illegal annexation of privately-owned Palestinian land.

Israel demolished 166,000 Palestinian homes since creation: Report

A report says Israel has demolished nearly 166,000 Palestinian homes since its illegal creation, displacing some one million people.

Bureijia said Israeli officials have just begun redrawing the map of al-Ta’amra village, which lies east of Bethlehem, preventing local Palestinians from entering their land near the illegal settlements there.

Israel and the UAE agreed to a US-brokered deal to normalize relations on August 13. Under the agreement, the Tel Aviv regime has supposedly agreed to "temporarily" suspend applying its own rule to further areas in the occupied West Bank and the strategic Jordan Valley that Netanyahu had pledged to annex.

While Emirati officials have described the normalization deal with the Tel Aviv regime as a successful means to stave off annexation and save the so-called two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israeli leaders have lined up to reject the bluff of Abu Dhabi's crown prince and de facto ruler of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, that Israel's annexation plans were off the table.

Israel cannot understand language of normalization: Fatah leader

Palestinians view the normalization deal as betrayal of their cause.

The Israeli prime minister has underlined that annexation is not off the table, but has simply been delayed.

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has also strongly rejected UAE officials’ claim that Israel had stopped settlement annexation following a full normalization of diplomatic relations with the Persian Gulf state.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasem said in a statement on October 1 that the constant expansion of the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank has exposed the false claims of the Arab country.

“These [UAE] claims [that normalization with Israel has stopped settlement construction] are meant to mislead the Arab public opinion and to cover up the normalization crime,” he said. 

Hamas rejects UAE claim of Israeli halt to annexation plan

Hamas has rejected a senior UAE official

UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan had claimed his country's deal with Israel forced Tel Aviv to scrap its annexation plan.

Netanyahu signed agreements with Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani during an official ceremony hosted by US President Donald Trump at the White House on September 15.

Palestinians, who seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank and Gaza with East Jerusalem as its capital, view the deals as betrayal of their cause.

Netanyahu endorses construction of over 5,000 new settler units in occupied West Bank

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu approves plans for the construction of more than 5,000 new settler units in the occupied West Bank.

More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.

Since Trump took office in December 2016, Israel has stepped up its settlement construction activities in defiance of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which pronounced settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds “a flagrant violation under international law.”

All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law as they are built on occupied land.

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