DaysofPal– The Israeli government is advancing plans to build thousands of new housing units and projects for Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem, including a religious school in the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.
The construction of about 9,000 settler homes on the site of the former Jerusalem International Airport in Qalandia, close to the Palestinian village of Kafr Aqab, is a major plan, the Haaretz newspaper reported on Thursday. The airport, established in 1920, was closed to civilian traffic following the outbreak of the second Intifada in 2000. In recent years, Israeli authorities approved the conversion of the airport’s land into a Jewish settlement.
The Israeli district planning and building committee has also discussed several other plans for East Jerusalem, including the construction of an eight-story religious school for settlers in the heart of Sheikh Jarrah. This neighborhood has long been a flashpoint of tensions due to ongoing attempts to displace Palestinian residents.
The government will also discuss plans to build 700 new settler homes in the Givat Shaked settlement, which is located in southeast Jerusalem close to Sharafat village.
Reports from the Israeli anti-settlement organization Peace Now reveal a sharp escalation in settlement activities since the formation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s current government in late December 2022. The settlement expansion has drawn widespread condemnation from international bodies.
The United Nations considers settlements in occupied territories illegal under international law and has repeatedly called for their cessation, warning that they undermine prospects for a two-state solution. On July 19, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion, adopted by the UN General Assembly, stating that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is unlawful. The opinion called for an immediate halt to all settlement activities and the removal of settlers from the occupied Palestinian territories.
The ICJ further emphasized that Israel must compensate for material and moral damages suffered by individuals in the occupied territories. The court also highlighted the responsibility of other states not to recognize the legality of Israeli settlements or assist in maintaining the status quo.
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