Israel starts construction in Jordan Valley

This picture taken on June 25, 2020 shows a view of ongoing construction work at the Israeli settlement of Givat Zeev, near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. – Israel intends to annex West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley, as proposed by US President Donald Trump, with initial steps slated to begin from July 1. [AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images]

Israel has begun construction in the occupied Jordan Valley, in what Palestinians warn could be the start of a new illegal Jewish-only settlement, Wafa reported.

New structures have been erected in the north of the Jordan Valley, east of Khirbet Humsa Al Fouqa, according to local official Mutaz Bisharat. Adding that Israeli occupation soldiers set up eight rooms on privately-owned Palestinian land.

He said that the owners of the land were forcibly evicted from their homes last year.

Similar efforts, Wafa warned, have been initial steps for Israel to create a de facto situation on the ground before a new illegal settlement is established.

According to Israeli group Peace Now, there are about 450,000 Israeli Jewish settlers living in 132 Jewish settlements and 140 outposts in the occupied West Bank excluding East Jerusalem.

Peace Now defines the outposts as settlements that were established since the 1990s without Israeli government approval. Both settlements and outposts are illegal under international law.

READ: Israel issues stop-work orders for mosque, homes, shop in West Bank

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