He added in statements to ‘Sputnik’ that a systematic change has occurred in the issue of expansion since the formation of the Israeli far-right government at the beginning of 2023. He explained that previously, the Ministry of the Israeli Army set specific regulations for submitting plans, and only held four planning council sessions to expand settlements. He added that after the army was removed from control over the structural plans, expansion plans for settlements are now pushed forward almost weekly for approval, noting that this methodology has been ongoing for about three years.
Daoud emphasized that this new approval adds to a series of decisions aimed at seizing more Palestinian lands and imposing new realities on the ground. He explained that the bigger goal behind this Israeli expansionist plan is to eliminate the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state through settlement expansion and tampering with Palestinian geography.
The Palestinian presidency condemned the announcement by the Israeli occupation authorities to build 764 new settlement units in the West Bank, considering it Israeli attempts to undermine all international efforts aimed at stopping violence and escalation and achieving stability in the region. Official presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said the Israeli decision is rejected and contrary to international legitimacy and international law, especially UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which affirmed that settlements, including those in East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, are all illegal, stressing that these settlement decisions will not give legitimacy or security to anyone, according to the Palestinian news agency (WAFA).
Abu Rudeineh held Netanyahu and his government responsible for the dangerous repercussions of this destructive policy aimed at igniting the region and dragging it into violence and wars, undermining any effort to pull the region out of the cycle of violence. In the same context, earlier Israeli media reported that ‘the Israeli army intends to build a wall in the Jordan Valley to separate settlements from Palestinian villages and isolate these villages from each other.’
The Israeli newspaper ‘Haaretz’ reported that a wall is on its way to being erected in the heart of the Jordan Valley, and the planned wall will be 22 kilometers long and 50 meters wide. It explained that ‘the army intends to demolish all Palestinian homes and buildings located in its path, in addition to uprooting crops, pipes, water tanks, and others, as the army aims to establish a 22-kilometer long barrier, and will demolish homes, sheep pens, and infrastructure that pose an operational weakness, and one of the villages will be surrounded by a complete fence.’
It is noteworthy that the West Bank and Jerusalem are witnessing escalating tension with the continuation of Israeli military operations, which include raids, house demolitions, and arrests. At the same time, Israel is accused 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, claiming the lives of more than 70,000 Palestinians and injuring about 170,000.
