Approval of 5,295 units and the establishment of 3 new settlements
The Higher Planning Council (HPC) approved today and yesterday (3-4/7/24) the advancement of 5,295 housing units in dozens of settlements throughout the West Bank. The building plans include the expansion of settlements deep within the West Bank and the legalization of three outposts (without connection to the 5 outposts approved by the Cabinet last week): Mahane Gadi, Givat Hanan (Susya East), and Kedem Arava as “neighborhoods” of existing settlements.
For the first time since the establishment of the Settlement Administration by Minister Smotrich, the legal advisor to the HPC was a civilian and not an officer as in the past. Additionally, present in the audience were members of the Settlement Administration; Hillel Roth, the Civilian Deputy appointed by Minister Smotrich and one of the legal advisors of the administration.
The council’s agenda included plans for more than 6,000 housing units. Ultimately, the number of units approved stands at 5,295 because only the initial planning stage was approved for some of the plans. For example, in the plan for the Gva’ot settlement, where 1,006 housing units are planned, only 250 units were brought for approval.
Peace Now: “Netanyahu and Smotrich’s agenda became evident through the decisions of the Planning Council: approval for thousands of housing units, the establishment of three new settlements, and strategic appointments of Smotrich’s allies in key roles instead of military personnel underscore the annexation occurring in the West Bank. Our government continues to change the rules of the game in the occupied West Bank, leading to irreversible harm. While the north is neglected and citizens across the country are abandoned, with 120 hostages still in Gaza, the process of annexation and land theft continues to expand, contrary to Israeli interests. This annexationist government severely undermines the security and future of both Israelis and Palestinians, and the cost of this recklessness will be paid for generations to come. We must bring down the government before it’s too late.”
Among the plans that were approved:
Machane Gadi (Plan 312/6/1) – An outpost established in 2018 as an educational complex and pre-military academy, located north of the Masu’a settlement in structures previously used as a military camp. The plan for 260 housing units was approved for deposit and effectively established a new settlement by legalizing the outpost as a “neighborhood” of the Masu’a settlement.
Kedem Arava (Plan 612) – The agenda included a plan formally belonging to the new settlement “Beit Hogla,” which was approved by the cabinet in February 2023 as the legalization of an illegal outpost. It has now become clear that the new settlement approved by the cabinet includes not only the “Beit Hogla” outpost but also the “Kedem Arava” outpost, located approximately 1.5 km south of it. The plan approved for deposit is for the construction of 316 housing units in Kedem Arava.
Givat Hanan (Susya East) (Plan 513/5) – The approval of the plan for the deposit of 107 housing units in the Susya settlement is actually intended to legalize the Givat Hanan outpost, which was illegally established in 2019. The outpost is located across an intercity road, disconnected from the Susya settlement. However, to avoid the need to declare a new settlement, it was decided to consider it a “neighborhood” of Susya and plan the construction of a bridge over intercity Road 317 to connect the two settlements.
Gvaot (Plan 418/2/1/A) – The Gvaot settlement is also formally considered a “neighborhood” of the Alon Shvut settlement, even though it is 3 km away. The original plan is to build 1,006 housing units, but the HPC only approved Phase 1 of the plan, which includes 250 housing units. The Ministry of Housing is working on plans to establish a city there with tens of thousands of housing units.
Yakir (Plan 118/1/A) – Another significant plan is the establishment of a new neighborhood with 168 housing units for the Yakir settlement. The planned neighborhood is located beyond the access road to the settlement and involves the evacuation of a military base. The plan also connects to the Havat Yair outpost, which is also in the process of legalization as a “neighborhood” of Yakir.
Neria (Plan 235/13/1) – A plan for the construction of 436 housing units in the Neria settlement (officially considered a “neighborhood” of the Talmon settlement) west of Ramallah. This represents a significant expansion of the settlement deep in the West Bank in an area known as “Gush Talmonim,” where thousands of housing units have been approved in recent years and outposts have been legalized (such as Horesh Yaron, Haresha, Kerem Re’im, and Zayit Ra’anan). Recently, Minister Smotrich announced the advancement of a new bypass road intended to facilitate the planned growth in these settlements.
Overall, it was decided to advance 3,080 housing units for deposit and 2,215 housing units for validation.
For the full list of approved plans, see original report
Photo: The plan approved for deposit is for the construction of 316 housing units in Kedem Arava colony and the creation of the new Beit Hogla colony. Source: Peace Now.
