Israel Approves 763 New Settlement Homes in West Bank

DID Press: Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced plans to build 763 new housing units in the settlement of Eli, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, as part of a broader expansion of Israeli settlements.

Smotrich said the project forms part of a long-term plan to expand the Eli settlement by increasing its residential capacity and developing additional infrastructure in the area.

According to Israeli officials, the plan includes not only new housing units but also infrastructure projects, farms, and new settlement communities within the jurisdiction of the Binyamin Regional Council.

Israeli media reported that the project is expected to accommodate thousands of additional settlers and significantly expand the size of the Eli settlement.

Smotrich also said that since the current Israeli government took office in late 2022, it has approved the establishment of dozens of new settlements and settlement outposts across the West Bank.

Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank has long been opposed by Palestinians and widely criticized by the international community. Many international organizations consider the settlements to be illegal under international law, while Israel maintains that settlement development is part of its national policy in the territory.