Israel approves new settlements in occupied Negev region

Israel has approved construction of at least five new illegal settlements in the Negev (Naqab) desert region as part of its illegal settlement activities across the Palestinian territories.

The resolution, which was approved by the Israeli cabinet on Sunday, gives the so-called World Zionist Organization’s Settlement Division the power to recruit residents to move to the new settlements, Palestine's official Wafa news agency reported. 

The organization is tasked with construction of settler units on the occupied Palestinian territories.

The announcement comes as Israel eyes multiple settlements across the occupied region. Israeli regime on Wednesday said it will approve ten new settlements in the Negev region, saying that five Jewish towns would be built near the city of Arad and another five close to the vital road that connects Beersheba and Dimona cities.

Last week, Israeli authorities also announced that the Jewish National Fund (JNF) will resume a controversial forestation plan in Negev in close proximity to Palestinian towns.

Hundreds of Palestinians in recent months had protested against the JNF forestation plan, which they claim is a pretext to pushing them out from their lands to make way for new Jewish towns. The plan was temporarily put on hold.

There are almost 300,000 Palestinians who hold Israeli citizenship that live in dozens of villages in Negev.

Most of them are denied any infrastructure or support from the Israeli authorities. There are no means of transportation, no roads, no schools, and Israeli authorities don't collaborate with local leadership.

Palestinian resistance groups have thrown their weight behind Bedouin Palestinians in Negev (Naqab) in the face a forced eviction drive by Israel.

Islamic Jihad says ready to defend Bedouin Palestinians in Negev against Israeli eviction push  

Islamic Jihad throws its weight behind Bedouin Palestinians in Negev (Naqab) in the face a forced eviction drive by Israel, saying the resistance movement stands ready to defend the occupied region as it was the case during last year’s Gaza war.

Since taking over in June last year, right-wing Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett has been rapidly expanding settlements in contravention of international law. Bennett has also ruled out formal peace talks with the Palestinian Authority during his tenure.

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

Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state, with East al-Quds as its capital. The last round of Israeli-Palestinian talks collapsed in 2014. Among the major sticking points in those negotiations was Israel's continued settlement expansion.

Israeli settlements engine of occupation, trample on human rights law: UN experts

UN experts condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds as “the engine of the occupation,” saying the Tel Aviv regime’s illegal construction activities “trample”on human rights law.

All Israeli settlements are illegal under the international law as they are built on occupied land. The UN Security Council has condemned Israel's settlement activities in several resolutions.

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