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According to a report published by the Palestine Information Center, Israel has accelerated preparations to establish a new illegal Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem. Under this plan, 3,380 dunams of Palestinian land have been declared “state land.” The decision was approved by Israel’s far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich.
According to Israel’s Channel 7, the new settlement will be named Mishmar Yehuda and will be built on occupied Palestinian land in East Jerusalem. Around 3,600 housing units will be constructed in this settlement. The report also states that in February 2024, Israel’s diplomatic–security cabinet announced the establishment of this settlement, after which all work related to its construction has been moving forward rapidly.
Smotrich described the project as a large, well-planned city that would be strategically important for securing Jerusalem from the east. He also characterized it as a step toward advancing Israel’s de facto sovereignty in the region and preventing the possibility of an Arab state in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
What is surprising is that recently Israel’s security cabinet has also approved the establishment of 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, including settlements such as Ganim and Kadim.