SAFA — Israeli occupation authorities are scheduled to discuss 11 settlement plans on Wednesday, involving 608 housing units and additional infrastructure projects across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.

The commission said Tuesday that the proposals cover approximately 374,293 dunums of Palestinian land and affect areas in Hebron, Ramallah and al-Bireh, Jenin, Salfit, Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

Six of the plans involve the construction of 608 settlement housing units, while the remaining five concern engineering facilities, commercial areas and amendments to building regulations and construction rights.

The proposals include expanding existing Israeli settlements, establishing new settlement sites and developing infrastructure to support further settlement growth.

The commission emphasized that the plans remain under discussion and have not yet received final approval.

Hundreds of Settlement Units Planned Across Palestinian Land

According to the commission, the proposed housing units are distributed across six Israeli settlements and settlement sites.

In the Hebron governorate, the plans include 278 units in Avigayil and another 200 in Kiryat Arba.

In the Ramallah and al-Bireh governorate, Israeli authorities are considering 68 units in Kochav HaShachar and 30 at the Metsukei Eretz settlement site.

Another 30 units are planned at the Noa settlement site in Jenin, while two additional units are proposed in Ale Zahav in the Salfit governorate.

Together, the six projects account for the proposed 608 housing units.

The commission said Israeli settlers had already begun construction and established structures at some of the locations before completing the formal planning process.

It warned that the latest proposals seek to grant official planning approval to settlement construction already carried out on Palestinian land.

According to the commission, this practice reflects coordination between Israeli settlers and occupation institutions, whereby settlers establish a presence on Palestinian land before Israeli authorities move to formalize the construction and provide infrastructure for further expansion.

New Settlement Sites in Jenin and Ramallah

Two of the proposed projects, Noa and Metsukei Eretz, are among the settlement sites recently approved for establishment by the Israeli government.

The Noa settlement plan, southeast of Jenin, covers approximately 22.7 dunums of Palestinian land.

It includes a temporary residential complex consisting of mobile homes and public buildings, creating the initial infrastructure for a new Israeli settlement presence in the area.

Meanwhile, Metsukei Eretz, also known as Nof Gilad, is planned on land belonging to the Palestinian villages of Ramon and al-Taybeh, east of Ramallah and al-Bireh.

The project covers approximately 45.8 dunums and includes 30 temporary housing units in its initial phase.

The commission warned that these developments would expand Israeli settlement activity deeper into occupied Palestinian territory, placing additional pressure on nearby villages and restricting their ability to develop.

Settlement Expansion Threatens Palestinian Communities

The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission warned that the latest proposals form part of Israel's broader settlement expansion policy, which seeks to consolidate control over Palestinian land while restricting Palestinian urban development.

It said the construction of housing units, commercial facilities and supporting infrastructure enables Israeli settlements to accommodate more settlers and expand their presence across the occupied West Bank.

The commission also warned that the establishment of new settlement sites threatens the geographical continuity of Palestinian communities.

Settlement construction and associated roads and facilities can further fragment Palestinian territory, restrict access to agricultural land and limit opportunities for Palestinian towns and villages to expand.

The proposed developments affect areas across the northern, central and southern West Bank, as well as occupied Jerusalem.

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are considered illegal under international law.

The commission stressed that the latest plans would further entrench Israeli settlement expansion at the expense of Palestinian land, urban development and the geographical continuity of Palestinian communities.

Source : Safa News