Israel approves 50 settlement units in occupied Jerusalem during Pope’s visit

Israeli occupation authorities in the Jerusalem municipality approved on Monday the construction of 50 new settlement units in Har Homa in occupied East Jerusalem.

The approval coincided with the last day of Pope Francis’s visit to the region. The Palestinian Authority accused the Israeli government of taking this measure in response to the Pope’s unscheduled stop at the separation wall in Bethlehem on Sunday.

Pepe Alalu, the Jerusalem city councillor for the opposition party Meretz, told AFP news agency that the Jerusalem municipality had approved 50 new units in Har Homa in East Jerusalem.

Spokesperson of the Palestinian Authority president Nabil Abu Rudeineh responded by describing the decision as an “immoral, illogical and uncivilised” reaction to the Pope’s impromptu visit to the illegal security fence in Bethlehem, according to Israel’s Jerusalem Post newspaper.

Meanwhile, Addustour newspaper reported that Israeli occupation police prevented hundreds of Palestinians from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Pope’s visit to Jerusalem, including those normally tasked with guarding the mosque and students of the Sharia Schools.

The Israeli occupation army also raided the Sa’wa village in the Negev and posted demolition orders on buildings. About 300 people out of 1,500 had filed applications to postpone the demolition of their homes until they were able to find new lodging, but their applications were refused.

In Nablus, the occupied West Bank, hundreds of Israeli settlers broke into the Tomb of Joseph to perform weekly religious rituals. Palestinian children hurled stones at the settlers, but the Israeli occupation army responded by tear gas and sonic weapons. No injuries were reported.