view of arab village with Israeli settlements on hilltops behind

Israel approves West Bank settlement

The Israeli government has approved the establishment of the first new West Bank settlement in 25 years, despite international opposition.

The security cabinet voted unanimously in favour of the construction of a new settlement north of the Palestinian city of Ramallah.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said earlier on Thursday he would keep a promise to build new homes for Israeli settlers evicted from the West Bank outpost of Amona, which had been built on privately owned Palestinian land.

The outpost, 20km north of Jerusalem, was demolished last month after a ruling by Israel’s high court.

Read the article in the Cairns Post.