Report: 449,805 Jewish settlers live in occupied West Bank

The number of illegal Jewish settlers who live in the occupied West Bank reached 449,805 in January this year, Israeli TV Channel 7 reported yesterday.

According to the station, these Jewish settlers are distributed among 11 illegal settlement blocks across the occupied West Bank.

Settlements are illegal under international law, however, Israel continues with the policy with US backing.

Last year, the number of settlers was 453,159, while in 2014 it was 372,681 in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli TV said.

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The reported that the number of illegal Jewish settlers is expected to rise to 464,000 this year and to more than a million in 2041.

Forty-three per cent of the settlers live in the largest three settlements of Modi’in Illit, Maale Adumim, and Ariel.

The figure does not take into account settlers living in occupied East Jerusalem which Israel annex in 1967 and which the US unilaterally declared Israel’s undivided capital in December 2017 in contravention to international laws and treaties signed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday that construction would begin today on 840 new settlement units in the illegal settlement of Ariel in the Salfit District of the occupied West Bank.