More than $350 million is expected to be allocated to establish infrastructure for 61 future settlements
Israel has earmarked broad swathes of the West Bank for scores of new settlements, a move that could isolate Palestinian villages and tighten West Jerusalem’s grip on the territory. RT’s Charlotte Dubenskij has taken a closer look at the expansion plans.
The Israeli government has accelerated its push to annex larger and larger portions of the West Bank in recent years, accompanied by escalating settler violence. The international community and the US, Israel’s biggest ally, has also opposed the bid, with President Donald Trump vowing to “not allow” an annexation.
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s far-right finance minister and West Bank settler who also holds authority in the Defense Ministry over civilian affairs in the region, is backing the land grab. On Tuesday, he annulled parts of a key 1997 Israeli-Palestinian agreement which gave Hebron Palestinian municipality authority over planning, zoning, and construction in parts of the city.
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