The so-called Committee for Planning
and Building in the occupied Municipality of Jerusalem al-Quds approved
50 new settlement units in the illegal Israeli Har Humah settlement in
occupied Jerusalem al-Quds.
This as Palestinian news agency Ma'an
reported that Israeli bulldozers leveled Palestinian land in the
district of Salfit, as occupation forces gave confiscation notices of
approximately 750 acres to the Palestinian landowners. Local sources say
that their land has now been declared as a 'closed military zone' by
Israeli forces.Acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas stated
that the Palestine Liberation Organization will not resume negotiations
with Israel until Tel Aviv halts settlement construction. Earlier Israel
had approved around 14,000 settlement units throughout a 9 month frame
during US-led negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
According to Palestinian observers, the confiscation of Palestinian
land and the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements serve the same
aim, which is to concurrently diminish the Palestinian population and
increase the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank.