JERUSALEM: Israel has given final approval for the construction of 764 housing units in three settlements in the occupied West Bank, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Wednesday. The new units will be distributed across Hashmonaim, just over the Green Line in central Israel, and Givat Zeev and Beitar Illit near Jerusalem.
Most of the international community considers Israel’s settlements on land captured during the 1967 war as illegal. Numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions have called on Israel to halt all settlement activity. Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s Executive Committee, reiterated that “all the settlements are illegal … and they are contrary to all resolutions of international legitimacy.”
Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist who opposes the creation of a Palestinian state, noted that since the start of his term in late 2022, Israel’s Higher Planning Council has approved some 51,370 housing units in the West Bank. He described the latest approval as “part of a clear strategic process of strengthening the settlements and ensuring continuity of life, security, and growth … and genuine concern for the future of the State of Israel.” Israel claims these settlements are critical to its security and emphasizes biblical, historical, and political connections to the territory.
The West Bank has also seen a sharp increase in settler attacks on Palestinians. According to a UN report, at least 264 attacks against Palestinians were reported in October alone, marking the highest monthly total since UN monitoring began in 2006.
Hamas Rejects Calls for Disarmament
Meanwhile, Khaled Meshaal, head of Hamas Abroad, told Al Jazeera that surrendering weapons would “remove the soul” from the Palestinian group. He offered assurances that Hamas would take measures to curb any future attacks on Israel from Gaza, but emphasized that giving up weapons was unacceptable.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic’s Mawazin, Meshaal outlined Hamas’s positions amid growing concerns that momentum in ceasefire negotiations may fade. Hamas has warned that the ceasefire cannot advance if Israel continues violating the agreement, with authorities reporting at least 738 breaches since the truce took effect on October 10.
Meshaal also rejected the idea of a non-Palestinian governing authority for Gaza, responding to speculation over U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed “board of peace,” which was floated as a possible alternative to Hamas’s rule since 2006. Reports from the Financial Times indicate that former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair’s candidacy for the board has been ruled out, following opposition from several Arab and Muslim states. Blair’s reputation has been heavily criticized for his role in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and his failed tenure as Quartet envoy to the Middle East.
The developments highlight the growing tension in both the West Bank and Gaza, with Israel’s settlement expansion, rising settler violence, and Hamas’s firm stance on disarmament posing serious obstacles to peace in the region.
Leave a comment