1800 new housing units despite freeze
Mobile homes and fruit trees represent the expanding edges of the Israeli settlement of Ma’on, which is taking land from the South Hebron Hills village of Al Tuwani, West Bank, April 2, 2014. Photo: Ryan Rodrick Beiler
By Marta Feirra, Palestine Monitor
February 15, 2016
Israeli authorities approved the construction of 1800 housing units in settlements whose construction began in 2015, stated a report published on Sunday by the organisation Peace Now.
Despite government declarations of a “freeze”, construction continued in full force. Even though urban planning in settlements was frozen, local government have been using existing construction plans.
Of 1800 housing units in settlements whose construction began in 2015, almost 80 percent were built in isolated settlements east of the Green Line borders.
Peace Now found 265 housing units were built in illegal outposts last year, with at least 30 of them being built on private Palestinian land.
A new illegal outpost was established south of the Nofei Prat settlement, an area where demolitions of Bedouin houses are frequent. A road paved illegally to connect the outpost goes through private Palestinian land.
Peace Now said Netanyahu’s government message to the settlers is that “there is no need for planning and prior approval since the construction will eventually be approved retroactively.”
Earlier this month, the European Union made a statement calling on Israel to stop the demolition of Palestinian houses and reiterating its opposition to Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank.
UN head Ban Ki-Moon also recently criticised Israel for continuing to build settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, describing it as “an affront to the Palestinian people and to the international community.”
Peace Now Report
February 2, 2016
Main Findings:
• In 2015, construction for 1,800 new housing units began in the settlements:
• Over 40%(746 houisng units) east of the separation barrier.
• 79% of the construction starts took place in settlements east of the Geneva Initiative potential border,in settlements that Israel will probably need to evacuate under a permanent status agreement.
• In addition, the infrastructure of lots for the construction of at least another 734 housing units were developed and construction there is expected to begin soon.
• 265 housing units (15%) were built in illegal outposts.
• 1,547 of the housing units are permanent structures and 253 are mobile units.
• In addition, 63 public structures (synagogues, kindergartens, etc.) and 42 industrial or agricultural structures were constructed.
• According to Peace Now estimates and based on Civil Administration data, 32 housing units were built on private Palestinian land, almost all of them in illegal outposts.
• A new illegal outpost was established south of the Nofei Pratsettlement – in an area in which the government operates intensively to demolish Bedouin houses along Rte. 1 toward Jericho. The illegal outpost consists of three new structures and a small agricultural area. The road towards them, that was paved illegally, goes through private Palestinian land.
• Tenders– Despite the declared “tenders freeze”, tenders for 1,1,43 new housing units were published in 2015, 560 in the West Bank and 583 in East Jerusalem. (156 in Elkana, 102 in Kiryat Arba, 85 in Givat Ze’ev, 78 in Alfei Menashe, 114 in Adam (Geva Binyamin), 20 in Beitar Illit, 3 in Ariel and 2 in Karnei Shomron; in East Jerusalem: 438 in Ramat Shlomo, 103 in Pisgat Ze’ev and 36 in Neveh Yacov).
• Plans– Despite the declared “planning freeze”, the High Planning Committee approved 348 new Housing units for depositing or validation.
Examples for Construction starts in the settlements:
Kochav Yacov – 105 housing units
Emmanuel – 37 housing units + land development for at least another 100
Karnei Shomron – 27 housing units + land development for at least another 150
Kiryat Arba – 28 housing units
Ariel – 133 housing units
Yakir – 51 housing units
Salit – 13 housing units + land development for another 79
Nofei Prat – 16 housing units + land development for another 48
Tenne – 16 housing units + land development for another 28
Eshkolot – Land development for 64 housing units
Bracha – Land development for 30 housing units
Leshem – 18 housing units + land development for another 35
The report is based on a Peace Now count comparing aerial photos and site visits, and it relates to settlements in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem.