The Israeli government has allocated 152 million shekels ($51 million) to prepare construction plans for 69 illegal settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now has said.
– The allocation was made during a phone vote by ministers last week, the group said in a statement on Thursday, adding that the government is also preparing a draft resolution to allocate more than 1 billion shekels ($337 million) to establish new illegal settlements and outposts in the occupied territory.
– Peace Now said the decision allocates the funds to the Housing Ministry to complete initial planning procedures for the settlements legalised by the government between 2023 and 2025, along with preparing plans to expand settlement building in the occupied West Bank.
– There was no immediate comment from the government on the report.
– About 750,000 Israeli settlers live in 141 illegal settlements and 224 outposts across the occupied West Bank, including 250,000 in 15 illegal settlements in East Jerusalem.
– In recent years, Israeli forces and settlers have intensified attacks across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, involving arrests, killings, property destruction and the displacement of Palestinians, alongside continued illegal settlement expansion.
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