Israel plans new settlement projects in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel’s Justice Ministry is pushing plans to establish new settlement projects in occupied East Jerusalem, according to local media on Monday.

Haaretz newspaper said the proposal promoted by the Custodian of Absentee Property “includes a new neighborhood in Sheikh Jarrah, one near Damascus Gate, two near Beit Safafa, and one each in Sur Baher and Beit Hanina.”

The move “would entail the eviction of Palestinian residents”, including dozens in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, the daily said.

An Israeli court ruling in January to evict seven Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah sparked fierce clashes between Palestinians and Israelis in the occupied territories in May.

According to Haaretz, a total of 470 settlement units will be erected in Beit Safafa.

In Beit Hanina, a plan to construct dozens of settlement units on a six-dunum plot (a dunam equals 1,000 square meters) of land is under consideration, it added.

As for Beit Safafa neighborhood, the Custodian of Absentee Property is planning to establish another residential complex that includes dozens of housing units.

The Custodian of Absentee Property takes possession of Palestinian properties whose owners Israel considers to reside outside the Palestinian territories.

Israel has in recent years intensified its settlement activities in East Jerusalem.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is regarded as "occupied territory" under international law, making all Jewish settlements there illegal.
*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar