Israel to confiscate Palestinian land to expand illegal West Bank settlement 

Israeli authorities yesterday approved plans to seize Palestinian agricultural lands belonging to the villages of Qaryut and Al-Sawiya, south of Nablus in northern West Bank, to expand the illegal settlement of El, Anadolu reported.

Ghassan Daghlas, the Palestinian official in charge of the settlements file in the northern West Bank, told the agency that the Israeli authorities will use the land to build more housing units, public facilities, and roads to serve illegal settlers.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian resident of the village of Qaryut, Bashar Al-Qaryouti, said the Palestinian coordination body has informed him of the Israeli occupation authorities’ plans to expand the settlement onto private Palestinian agricultural lands planted with olive trees.

He explained that the Israeli plan was approved without prior announcement and that the villages will submit legal objections.

According to the Israeli human rights movement, Peace Now, there are about 666,000 settlers, 145 large settlements and 140 outposts in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. All are illegal under international law.

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More Israeli settlements in Palestine – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]