Israel advances illegal settlement plan for around 650 housing units: Jerusalem governorate

Israel has advanced plans for a new illegal settlement of around 650 housing units south of Jerusalem, the Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said Monday.

The governorate said in a statement that Israel's District Planning and Building Committee had deposited the plan for the proposed "Nofei Rachel" settlement, which would cover some 27 dunams (6.7 acres) next to Palestinian homes.

The governorate warned that the project's impact would extend beyond the number of planned units, saying its location would directly affect the daily lives of Palestinians in the area.

It said the plan was part of an Israeli settlement policy aimed at restricting Palestinian presence and urban expansion while expanding illegal settlements and creating new facts on the ground.

Also, Monday, the Israeli rights group Ir Amim said Israel had advanced three major settlement projects totaling more than 3,400 housing units in East Jerusalem in recent weeks.

The UN and most countries consider Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian land illegal under international law and say they undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

The Israeli Peace Now movement estimates that about 500,000 occupiers live in the West Bank, in addition to about 250,000 in illegal settlements in East Jerusalem.