Israeli media revealed a recently discussed and approved Israeli plan to establish a large settlement on the border with Egypt. It was explained that the "new settlement will include the Nitzana settlement, located about 70 kilometers south of Be'er Sheva, and will comprise more than 1,100 apartments and 200 hotel rooms." The Director-General of the Planning Administration stated to the Israeli news site "bizportal" that "the settlement will serve as a regional service center and will be adjacent to the educational center and desert tourism."
Regarding the details of the anticipated project, the Israeli site noted that "during the war specifically, the planning and building committee of the southern region approved a detailed plan for the new Nitzana settlement on the Egyptian border. The settlement will include 1,144 apartments, a public building, commercial and labor areas, in addition to approximately 200 hotel rooms." It was mentioned that "two government decisions have previously been issued approving the establishment of the new settlement."
The settlement is promoted by the Israel Land Authority and the Planning Administration, proposed within the area of the Ramat HaNegev Regional Council, about 70 kilometers south of Be'er Sheva city, near the border with Egypt. The educational settlement community "Nitzana," named "Aryeh Luba Eliav," will be part of the new settlement. The total planned area is approximately 3,000 dunams.
The two previous government decisions are decision number 444 dated 15/7/2001 regarding "Establishing New Settlements in the Holot Haluts Area in the Negev," and the second is decision number 1280 dated 14/3/2022. The planning of the settlement is organized into four construction groups, separated by a series of open spaces.
In the plan, 1,144 residential units have been proposed in a detailed design featuring a diverse construction mix that includes a detached rooftop garden, terraced buildings, and stepped construction along the valley. The plan also designates areas for public buildings and institutions, commercial zones, and centers that include a mix of uses for commerce and employment, private housing, tourist accommodation, and approximately 200 hotel rooms near Nitzana National Park.
Additionally, the planned area contains river channels with remnants of ancient infrastructure used for agricultural water transport from the Byzantine era. The plan proposes to preserve and restore the vegetation in the channels and leave them as open public areas that are part of the settlement's landscape.
