Israel Plans to Construct 1,000 New Homes in Eli Settlement

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Wednesday that Israel intends to construct 1,000 new homes in the Eli settlement in the occupied West Bank, describing this as a response to a Palestinian attack. A statement from the office indicated that Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich "agreed to move forward immediately" with the plan, without providing details on the timeline. The statement added, "Our response to terrorism is to strike it hard and build our land." The organization "Peace Now," which monitors settlements, noted that "Eli currently has about 1,000 homes, meaning that Wednesday's announcement could double its population." The total population of settlers in the West Bank has risen to 465,400 among 2.58 million Palestinians, according to Peace Now.