Jerusalem: Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a government plan to allocate 2.7 billion shekels to establish 17 new colonies in the West Bank over the next five years and to develop colonial infrastructure in several areas.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the plan designates 1.1 billion shekels to strengthen existing colonies and establish new ones. Of this, 660 million shekels will be directed towards the 17 colonies recently approved by the government, with 338 million shekels being used to develop 36 colonies and outposts currently under planning. This development will cover infrastructure needs such as water, sewage, and electricity, as well as public structures like religious centers, schools, and clubs.
The government also plans to allocate 300 million shekels to the new colonies, including 160 million shekels as an establishment grant and 140 million shekels for planning purposes. Additionally, the plan includes constructing "absorption warehouses" with about 20 caravans for families, facilitating future colonial expansion.
Furthermore, 434 million shekels will be allocated to existing colonies for infrastructure rehabilitation, 300 million to colonies' councils in the West Bank, 140 million for roadblocks, and 150 million for bus protection over three years. Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz is expected to allocate additional budgets to bolster security in new colonies, including smart fences, cameras, and military equipment depots.
The plan outlines strategies to strengthen Israeli control beyond the 1948 borders by developing colonies, constructing roads, relocating military bases, and establishing administrative and military control over targeted areas, effectively resulting in the de facto annexation of the West Bank.
It also stipulates allocating 225 million shekels to establish a special "land registry" unit for the West Bank, transferring land registration from the "Civil Administration" to it. This move will impact approximately half a million colonies and aims to regulate some 60,000 dunams by 2030.
The newspaper Yediot Aharonot reported that the plan includes relocating three military bases to the northern West Bank, most notably moving the headquarters of the "Menashe" Brigade to the area of the former "Shanur" colony, a move described as dramatic and intended to strengthen the military and colonial grip on the region.