Israeli government planning to legalise 35 percent of West Bank outposts: Report
The Israeli government has been working to advance a plan to legalise 35 percent of the Israeli outposts in Area C in the occupied West Bank, a new report published by Israeli human rights organisation Bimkom has found.
Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has been spearheading the plan since February, which entails the regularisation of 70 of the 200 illegal outposts in fully-Israeli controlled Area C, the organisation said in a statement.
“As part of this process, Israel is working to connect these outposts immediately to water and electricity infrastructure, to establish public buildings in them, and to halt enforcement proceedings against them,” it said.
“The initiative exacerbates still further the planning discrimination against the Palestinian population.”
US criticises Israel settlement plans on occupied West Bank heritage site
The United States has condemned Israel’s approval of a settlement on a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Bethlehem, pointing to its harm to prospects for a Palestinian state.
“Every single one of these new settlements would impede Palestinian economic development and freedom of movement and undermine the feasibility of a two-state solution,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
“We find that to be inconsistent with international law, and we certainly oppose the advancement of settlements in the West Bank,” Patel added.
Far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the move on Wednesday, saying that Israel hoped to create new “facts on the ground” to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.
All of Israel’s settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law.
