Palestinians oppose the proposed planIsrael is to approve 2,000 new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, defence sources said on Thursday, despite opposition from dovish members of the governing coalition. A security source told AFP the permits for Jewish settlements would come alongside approvals for hundreds of Palestinian homes in the large swathe of the West Bank known as Area C, where Israel exercises military and planning control. “There is an expectation to approve about 1,000 housing units for Palestinians in Area C next week and 2,000 housing units in the Jewish communities,” the source told AFP on condition of anonymity. The office of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas expressed its “strong rejection” of the new settler homes, saying they contradicted “the clear American position” President Joe Biden expressed in a call with Mr. Abbas. Israel seized the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967.

Source: The Hindu August 12, 2021 17:26 UTC