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Report: Israel implemented 53 settlement projects in the West Bank during April

May 3, 2019 at 1:36 am

Israeli settlements near Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on 10 February 2015 [Nedal Eshtayah/Apaimages]

The Jerusalem Center for the Study of Israeli Affairs has documented 53 settlement projects implemented by Israel in the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem during the month of April.

The Center’s report issued on Thursday said the Israel settlement projects and activities included the confiscation of Palestinians land, sending out demolition notices to Palestinian structure and the actual demolition of tens of residential and commercial establishments, as well as the construction of thousands of settlement housing units in the West Bank settlements.

According to the report, the Israeli measures have also affected facilities owned by Arab-Israelis as part of a policy aimed at displacing them.

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The Center’s director, Emad Abu Awad said the Israeli demolition and settlement process is growing on an almost monthly basis, which suggests that the Israeli occupation plan aims to use it as political aesthetic to counter any Palestinian movement.

According to the report, the occupied city of Jerusalem remains the first target of these measures but where almost 50% of the demolition orders were issued inside Jerusalem.

The report pointed out that the construction of settlements housing units has increased in 2018 by 9 percent compared to 2017.

Israel built nearly 1800 settlement units per year during the last 10 years before 2018, however, in 2018, the number has increased to 2000 housing units, the report said, adding that the figure is likely to increase in 2019 ahead of the US announcement of the so-called Deal of the Century, and the entry of right-wing parties into the Israeli government.