Israel advances thousands of West Bank settlement homes, despite U.S. objections

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Israel’s Civil Administration advanced on Wednesday plans to build thousands of housing units in West Bank settlements, a first during U.S. President Joe Biden’s tenure.

The plan involves 3,144 housing units, 1,344 of which were approved on Wednesday, with the rest set to be approved at a later day.

The decision comes a day after the Biden administration strongly condemned Israel’s plans to advance housing units in Israeli settlements in its firmest public rebuke of Israeli policy to date.

Senior U.S. officials told Naftali Bennett’s office in discreet talks that their concerns mainly relate to the expected construction in the depths of Palestinian territory. The messages were conveyed, among other avenues, from the office of U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

“We are deeply concerned about the Israeli government’s plan to advance thousands of settlement units, many of them deep in the West Bank,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

“In addition, we’re concerned about the publication of tenders on Sunday for 1,300 settlement units in a number of West Bank settlements,” Price added, referring to Israel’s decision to invite bids for the construction of 1,355 housing units in Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

The issuing of bidding process is the last step before the government begins building the units, which have been practically approved.

U.S. gives harshest public rebuke yet on Israeli settlement plans

“We strongly oppose the expansion of settlements, which is completely inconsistent with efforts to lower tensions and to ensure calm, and it damages the prospects for a two-state solution. We have been consistent and clear in our statements to this effect,” Price continued.

This coming Sunday, the committee will discuss plans to approve and promote 1,300 units in Palestinian towns and villages in Area C, the section of the West Bank under full Israeli civil and security control.

This is the largest number of housing units Israel has promoted for Palestinians in over a decade.