The Palestinian Authority continues to establish facts on the ground and is rapidly building a new illegal city in the Judean Desert nature reserve under the cover of the ongoing violent conflict. Gush Etzion Regional Council head Yaron Rosenthal describes the situation as a "severe failure" and demands the Israeli government take immediate action.
The construction of the new city was exposed about a year ago in an investigative report by Israel Hayom in collaboration with the Regavim organization. The report revealed that the construction is causing severe damage to the nature reserve. For Gush Etzion, the construction poses a severe security threat, as it isolates the Gush Etzion settlements, turning them into an enclave surrounded by Arab cities and villages, while access to the area is already difficult.
"The Palestinian side shall safeguard and preserve the Nature Reserves in accordance with established scientific standards," the Oslo Accords explicitly stated, strictly prohibiting construction in the reserve area. Even after the areas were officially designated as Area B – under Palestinian civil control and Israeli security control – the interim Wye Memorandum from 1999 states: "The Palestinian side has further informed that they will act according to the established scientific standards, and that therefore there will be no changes in the status of these areas...While these standards do not allow new construction in these areas, existing roads and buildings may be maintained."
After news of the illegal city became public, an uproar ensued. Former Gush Etzion Regional Council head Shlomo Ne'eman even brought in influencers to assist in exposing the issue to the public and pressure the government to do something about it. Before Rosh Hashanah, the Yesha Council held a ceremonial toast at the site, attended by Minister for Settlement and National Missions Orit Strock. The event turned into a confrontation with Palestinians.
However, since nothing has been done despite statements from government officials, the construction is rapidly advancing without any intervention from law enforcement. Many new roads and buildings have been built, scattered across a radius of about six kilometers. Another recent step by the city planners is the construction of a Palestinian tourist resort area. This project and its access roads are being built swiftly.
Rosenthal stated: "While some of us have become disillusioned with the concept in Gaza, burying our heads in the sand regarding Judea and Samaria continues. If we do not stop the rampant illegal construction in the reserve today, in a few years we will be dealing with one of the most severe security incidents here. This severe failure is a security threat to the State of Israel - wake up."
