AL-KHALIL, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The Israeli occupation authorities have approved two settlement plans involving the construction of 567 housing units in the al-Khalil governorate in the southern West Bank, amid accelerating settlement expansion and planning for more settlements and outposts.
Hebrew-language sources reported on Thursday that Israeli authorities had approved the construction of 567 housing units in settlements in the southern West Bank.
The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said that Israeli authorities approved 342 settlement units in the Asael settlement, built on land belonging to the town of al-Samu, under Plan No. 525. The Israeli security cabinet approved converting the site into an official settlement in 2023.
Israeli authorities also approved 225 settlement units in the Beit Hagai settlement, built on land belonging to al-Rihiya in the town of Dura, under Plan No. 517/4.
The two plans had been previously advanced through earlier planning stages before being moved to the validation stage during a meeting of the so-called Planning Council on September 23. This makes the plans effective and paves the way for completing procedures necessary for construction.
The commission said the latest approvals are part of an accelerating policy to expand settlements and formalize settlement sites. It noted that the Asael plan represents a major step toward completing the settlement’s planning status, while the Beit Hagai plan would significantly expand its area and size.
The commission said the measures are part of an ongoing effort to reshape Palestinian geography in the southern occupied West Bank through settlement construction, increased land seizures, and the integration of settlements into expanding road and infrastructure networks.
