The Israeli channel reported that the Israeli Security Cabinet has approved the construction and rehabilitation of 19 new settlements across the West Bank. It noted that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz initiated the project during the Cabinet session. This decision includes rebuilding the ‘Ganim’ and ‘Kedem’ settlement points, 20 years after their evacuation in the West Bank. The Israeli channel described the approval of the settlement construction as an ‘important political step’ that expands Israeli settlement in the West Bank.
In the same context, Israeli media previously reported that the ‘Israeli army intends to build a wall in the Jordan Valley to separate the settlements from Palestinian villages and isolate those villages from each other.’ The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that a wall is planned to be erected in the heart of the Jordan Valley, with a length of 22 kilometers and a width of 50 meters. It stated that ‘the army intends to demolish all Palestinian homes and buildings located in its path, in addition to uprooting crops, pipes, water tanks, and more, as the army aims to create a 22-kilometer barrier. It will demolish homes, sheep pens, and infrastructure that pose an operational weakness, and one of the villages will be completely fenced.’
It is noted that the West Bank and Jerusalem are experiencing escalating tensions with ongoing Israeli military operations, which include raids, home demolitions, and arrests. Meanwhile, Israel accuses them of ‘targeting its security apparatus and undermining its efforts to achieve security.’ This coincides with the Gaza truce, which was reached after nearly two years of war, which resulted in more than 70,000 Palestinian deaths and approximately 170,000 injuries.
