Israel Announces Construction of 1,355 Settler Housing Units in the West Bank

The Israeli Ministry of Housing and Construction confirmed on Sunday the government's intention to build 1,355 new settler housing units in the West Bank. The ministry stated in a release that "tenders for 1,355 housing units in the towns of Judea and Samaria were published under the supervision of Housing Minister Ze'ev Elkin," following final approvals. According to the ministry's statement, the new units will be built in seven settlements, particularly 729 in the Ariel settlement (northern West Bank), 346 in Beit El (near Ramallah), and 102 in the Elkana settlement (northwest of the West Bank). The ministry also announced the marketing of 1,500 new settler units in the Jordan Valley over the next five years. These housing units will be in addition to more than 2,000 settler units expected to receive final approval from the Ministry of Defense this week. Minister Elkin, from the right-wing "New Hope" party, stated that "strengthening the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria is essential to the Zionist vision." This announcement follows several days after settlers announced the construction of 31 new settler units in the city of Hebron in southern West Bank. Currently, more than 600,000 settlers live among more than three million Palestinians, and the settlements, which are considered illegal, face opposition from the international community.