Israel approves new settlement in West Bank

The Civil Administration’s High Planning Committee yesterday approved building a new settlement in the occupied West Bank for the evacuees of the illegal outpost of Amona, Quds Press reported Israeli media saying.

Amona was an illegal and unauthorised Israeli Jewish settlement near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. Owners of the land, on which the settlement was built, won a battle in Israeli courts that led to its evacuation three months ago.

Israel’s Channel 7 said that the Coordinator of the Israeli Government’s Activities in the occupied Palestinian Territories, Major General Yoav Mordechai, had already given the new construction a green light.

In addition, the Israeli TV reported that the location of the new illegal settlement is part of the state land because it is not owned by individuals. However, Quds Press reported that this meant the land is part of Palestinian villages northeast of Ramallah.

Israeli TV also revealed that the construction timetable would be condensed, noting that the settlers had named the new settlement Amichai. It is the first officially authorised settlement since 1993.

At the end of March, the Israeli Cabinet approved the construction of the new settlement and agreed to build it in the north of occupied Ramallah.