Construction of illegal Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian territories surged during first year of US Trump presidency, Israeli Peace Now revealed on Sunday.
Peace Now said that the Israeli occupation began construction of 2,783 illegal settlement units in 2017. That was about 17 per cent higher than the annual average since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office in 2009.
It said that 78 per cent of the new illegal settlement units were in outlying settlements that would likely have to be evacuated if a Palestinian state is established. And 234 units, or 8 per cent, were in illegal settlements that are not authorised by the Israeli government.
The Israeli organisations said that three illegal Jewish settlement were established last year.
Donald Trump has taken a softer line on Israeli construction in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem than some of his predecessors.
"The steady pace of construction and building deep in the West Bank attest to Netanyahu's steadfast abetting of the settlement enterprise," the report said. "It is also apparent that the new US presidency in 2017 had no marginal deterrent effect on these Israeli unilateral moves."
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