Israel begins work on first new settlement in 25 years

Israel has begun work on the first new Jewish-only settlement in the occupied West Bank in 25 years, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday.


Despite international opposition to Israeli settlement construction, which is illegal under international law, ground was broken at the site of the proposed Amichai settlement, which is intended to accommodate settlers who the Israeli High Court evicted from the illegal Amona outpost earlier this year.

“After decades, I have the privilege to be the prime minister who is building a new community in Judea and Samaria,” Netanyahu said, using the Israeli term for the occupied West Bank.

While Israel has continued to expand existing settlement blocs, no new settlements have been built since the 1993 Oslo peace accords, which were intended to lay the framework for a future two-state solution.

The proposed new settlement will be located at the center of the West Bank, north of Palestinian administrative capital Ramallah, prompting Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now to warn that the move would contribute to the further “fragmentation” of the West Bank.
 [aa.com.tr]
20/7/17