Bethlehem: Israeli authorities have initiated the construction of 974 colonial units in the illegal outpost of Efrat, situated on lands belonging to citizens south of Bethlehem.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA, the Israeli Peace Now movement has highlighted that this development involves the establishment of a new neighborhood aimed at expanding the Efrat colony by 644 dunams. This expansion is set to increase the colony’s population by approximately 40%. The movement has expressed concerns that the Efrat colony poses a significant obstacle to the development of Bethlehem and could potentially sever the southern West Bank if annexed by Israel.
Peace Now further emphasized that the current Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, is taking measures that could undermine the potential for peace and settlement. The expansion of settlements is seen as an attempt to establish irreversible facts on the ground.
The head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Mu’ayyad Shaaban, has also reported on the construction of a new colony, named ‘Nahal Helitz’, on the lands of the Bethlehem Governorate, specifically between the towns of Husan and Al-Khader, on the lands of the village of Battir. Shaaban noted that the establishment of this colony was approved following increased international recognition of the State of Palestine last June. The initial steps included the allocation of 120 dunums for the colony, followed by the Blue Line team’s decision to designate an additional 600 dunums, leading to the commencement of construction activities.
Shaaban has warned that this development aims to further disconnect the Bethlehem and Jerusalem governorates, contributing to the implementation of the Greater Jerusalem plan, which poses a threat to the geographical continuity of the northern and southern West Bank.
