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."

The post Palestinian Authority rapidly building illegal city in Judean Desert Nature Reserve appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

An illegal Palestinian quarry in Gush Etzion is causing gradual damage to a major archaeological site – an ancient aqueduct that runs between Gush Etzion and Jerusalem.

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The aqueduct, which dates back some 2,000 years to the time of the Second Temple, is considered a marvel of engineering, as it twists and turns for a distance of some 40 km (25 miles) along rocky, hilly terrain that has virtually no incline.

The aqueducts was one of two that brought water to Solomon's Pools, a large reservoir from which three other aqueducts funneled water to Jerusalem and Herodian. However, it is now being damaged by ongoing work at a Palestinian quarry at Beit Fajar.

Video: Shomrim al HaNetzach

The Beit Fajar quarry, one of the largest in Judea and Samaria, was originally established in Area B, but over the years encroached on Area C, which is under Israeli control under the terms of the Oslo Accords. Currently, the quarry occupies some 1,500 dunams (370 acres).

The damage was first identified in 2013. But because much of the quarry is located in Area B, it is difficult to track its development. A few months ago, the extent of the damage thus far was revealed when Azriel Yechezkel of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute of Archaeology and Yoav Negev of the Israel Cave Explorers Club surveyed the ancient aqueducts.

Yechezkel and Negev said that years of quarry work has caused "irreversible" damage to the aqueducts, with some 100 meters (328 feet) of tunnel and approximately 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) of the aqueduct on either side of the tunnel reduced to rubble.

For over 15 years, the Regavim movement has been fighting a legal battle against the illicit quarry over the environmental damage it is causing as well as the harm it is doing to the land around it.

Adi Shragai, manager of operations at the organization Shomrim al HaNetzach, said, "It's time for the government to understand that national heritage sites in Area B are simply being destroyed and abandoned. We need to stop the quarry's criminal activity."

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The post Pirate Palestinian quarry chips away at ancient aqueduct appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Both homes lie in Area B, which is under Palestinian civil control.

One of the homes belongs to Neria Zarog, who has refused to leave his home despite being in violation of a restraining order that requires him to stay out of the settlement. When security forces arrived to evacuate Zarog forcibly, he handcuffed himself to his house.

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The demolition was given a green light after the High Court of Justice rejected petitions from Zarog and Aaron Zuglan, who lives in the other home. The government and the military have both approved the demolitions.

Before the demolition process began, a senior security official warned the residents of the outpost not to attack security forces and said that any violence on their part would be met with a harsh response.

Watch: Illegally built homes in the settlement outpost Kumi Ori are demolished

"Any attempt to harm security forces carrying out their work to evacuate and demolish structures in the illegal outpost Kumi Ori will meet with zero tolerance," the official said.

"The residents need to behave responsibly and not get dragged into provocations and violence," the official added.

The administration of the Yitzhar settlement condemned the home demolitions and said that the action would do nothing to help calm the region.

"In the past few years, tens of thousands of illegal Arab buildings have been constructed in Judea and Samaria, and the Israeli government has chosen to focus on demolishing the homes of Jewish families in Yitzhar, while homes of terrorists who have Jewish blood on their hands remain standing," a message from the Yitzhar council read.

The post Border Police demolish 2 illegal homes in outpost near Yitzhar appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.