The government was moving ahead with plans to construct more than 2,300 settlement homes in Judea and Samaria, the Israeli left-wing NGO Peace Now said Tuesday.
A Defense Ministry planning committee issued the approvals after discussing the matter over the past several days, Peace Now said in a statement. The 2,304 housing units are at various stages of the approval process.
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"The approval of settlement plans is part of a disastrous government policy designed to prevent the possibility of peace and a two-state solution, and to annex part or all of the West Bank," said Peace Now, which closely monitors construction in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged before the most recent general election in April to annex settlements in Judea and Samaria.
Last week, the diplomatic-security cabinet issued rare approval for 700 Palestinian housing units to be built in Area C – the part of Judea and Samaria that is fully under Israel's military and administrative control – while also approving 6,000 homes for Israelis.
Details of those plans were not publicly released, and some of the 6,000 homes earmarked for Israelis could be included in this week's committee approvals, according to Peace Now.
This article was originally published by i24NEWS.
