News / Palestine

After normalization, expanding settlements: Israel approves more units

Wednesday, 14 October 2020 2:16 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 14 October 2020 4:52 PM ]

The photo, taken on October 12, 2020, shows the Israeli settlement of Har Gilo in the occupied West Bank. (By AFP)

For the first time since the conclusion of normalization deals with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, Israel has approved the construction of over 1,300 new settler units across the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli ‘West Bank Civil Administration’ planning committee on Wednesday approved the building of 1,313 units in several settlements.

And the Peace Now NGO, which is an anti-settlement group that monitors settlement activity in the West Bank, said in a statement that more units were expected to be approved on Thursday.

“Netanyahu is moving ahead at full steam toward solidifying the de facto annexation of the West Bank,” the statement read.

Israel, UAE reach US-brokered agreement to establish full diplomatic ties

Israel and the United Arab Emirates agree to normalize diplomatic ties in a deal apparently brokered by US President Donald Trump that includes Tel Aviv regime’s agreement to suspend annexation of the occupied West Bank.

The UAE announced normalization of its relations with Israel on August 13.

Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan signed the agreement at the White House on September 15 with the attendance of President Donald Trump of the United States, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani.

Emirati officials claim the normalization deal was needed to stave off further annexation of Palestinian land and save the so-called two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israeli authorities, however, say annexation plans are not off the table.

Palestinians seek an independent state in the West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital. They view the normalization as betrayal of the Palestinian cause.

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