“In response to the deadly terrorist attacks in Jerusalem, the Political and Security Cabinet unanimously decided to legalize nine settlements in Judea and Samaria (the name Israel uses to refer to the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967 ),” the statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office read.
“These settlements have existed for many years, some for decades, and were built without the permission of the Israeli government,” the statement said. It is reported that the Higher Planning Council of the Civil Administration will meet in the coming days to approve the construction of new housing in existing settlements in the West Bank. Earlier Sunday, during a meeting of his government, Benjamin Netanyahu declared that he wanted to “strengthen colonization”, illegal under international law. More than 475,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, which are home to 2.8 million Palestinians.
Israel’s prime minister also announced that his government wants to introduce legislation this week in the Knesset (parliament) to revoke Israeli citizenship and deport terrorists. These measures will apply to Israeli Arabs (descendants of Palestinians who remained on their land after the creation of the State of Israel in 1948), as well as to Palestinians with the status of residents of East Jerusalem. This statement was made in the context of the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian violence. On Friday, a Palestinian killed three Israelis, including two children, in an attack that took place in Ramot, a Jewish settlement area in East Jerusalem, part of the Holy City annexed by Israel. And on Sunday, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian teenager in an army raid in the northern West Bank.
Since the beginning of the year, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has claimed the lives of at least 46 Palestinians, including armed and civilians, including minors), nine Israeli civilians (including three minors) and one Ukrainian.
