«Israel» Approves 3k New Settler Units in Al-Quds

Local Editor

"Israeli" officials have approved plans for the construction of thousands of new settler units in East al-Quds [Jerusalem] in grave contravention of international law and a United Nation Security Council resolution against the Tel Aviv regime's land expropriation and settlement expansion policies in occupied Palestinian lands.

The so-called Local Committee for Planning and Construction in the al-Quds [Jerusalem] Municipality has agreed to building 3,000 new housing units at the Gilo settlement, "Israeli" media reported on Thursday.

"The planned settlement units will be built on an area of approximately 280 dunams [around 252 square kilometers]," the outlets added.

Less than a month before US President Donald Trump took office, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2334, calling on the "Israeli" entity to "immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem [al-Quds]".

About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli 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 the entity's continued settlement expansion on Palestinian territories.

This as there have been regular anti-US protests by Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip since December 6, when Trump declared that Washington recognized al-Quds as the so-called "capital" of the entity and was moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. Many say Trump's move has effectively killed any chances of further negotiations.

The dramatic shift in Washington's al-Quds policy drew fierce criticism from the international community, including Washington's Western allies, and triggered protests against the US and the "Israeli" entity worldwide.

The United Nations General Assembly later voted by a resounding majority to reject Trump's al-Quds move.

The "Israeli" entity lays claim to the whole of al-Quds, but the international community views the ancient city's eastern sector as occupied land and the Palestinians consider it their future capital.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team