Israel’s defence minister will next week seek approval to fast-track the construction of 2500 West Bank settlement homes this year, which is likely to ratchet up tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
Avigdor Lieberman’s office said yesterday he would fulfil a commitment to expand construction in the West Bank settlements, including outposts and the Jewish enclave in the West Bank city of Hebron.
Mr Lieberman would advance another 1400 units in preliminary planning stages. “In the coming months, we will bring for approval thousands more housing units,” he said.
The announcement came two days after Palestinians urged the International Criminal Court in The Hague to open an investigation into Israeli policies in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, including settlement construction. Israel has called the Palestinian move “legally invalid”. Israel is not a member of the ICC and says the court does not have jurisdiction.
Read the article in The Australian (AP).