The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission announced it has recorded 11 new settlement plans targeting various areas of the West Bank, including the addition of 895 settlement units, along with the establishment and expansion of industrial and commercial zones and changes to land classifications and building regulations, as part of plans aimed at expanding settlements and strengthening their urban and economic infrastructure.
In its weekly report issued Saturday, the commission said the plans cover the governorates of Qalqilya, Salfit, Nablus, Ramallah and Al-Bireh, and Hebron, as well as the area of the "Gush Etzion" settlement council, noting that they combine residential expansion with investment in infrastructure and services, and the seizure of more agricultural land and open areas and their conversion for settlement purposes.
In Qalqilya governorate, a plan targets the construction of 363 settlement units in the "Tzomet Faradim" residential neighborhood in the "Kedumim" settlement, including 288 new units, on an area of 158.4 dunams of land from Kafr Qaddum, with the reorganization of roads, land uses and building rights.
The plans also include amendments to building regulations on two industrial plots in the "Karni Shomron" settlement, allowing an increase in the areas allocated for buildings, while a plan in the "Oranit" settlement includes the addition of a settlement unit by permitting the construction of two homes instead of one on a land plot of 0.552 dunams.
In Salfit, the "Ariel" settlement leads the expansion plans, with the addition of 98 settlement units to its northern neighborhood on an area of 61.495 dunams, alongside an amendment to building controls within a regulatory area of 405.038 dunams. The monitoring also includes amendments to building ratios and lines in the "Bdueil" settlement.
In Ramallah and Al-Bireh, a plan for the "Talmon" settlement includes the addition of 200 settlement units, bringing the total in the plan to 288 units, on an area of 65.1 dunams, in parallel with the organization of land uses, roads and building rights.
In Nablus governorate, a plan for the "Alon Moreh" settlement targets the construction of 83 new settlement units on an area of 24.939 dunams, after converting agricultural land into residential areas, roads and open public spaces.
In the southern West Bank, the plans include the addition of 225 settlement units in the "Beit Hagai" settlement south of Hebron, on an area of 189.476 dunams, with spaces allocated for public buildings, roads, facilities and services.
A plan in the "Kiryat Arba" settlement also includes the establishment of an industrial and commercial zone on an area of 165.797 dunams, by converting agricultural land into areas for light industries, crafts and commercial and operational activities, expanding the settlement's economic base.
Within the area of the "Gush Etzion" settlement council, the amendments include permitting commercial and service activities within the lands of public institutions and open spaces, including cafes, kiosks and infrastructure facilities, along with facilities related to the transfer of building rights and the redivision of some lands.
The details of the plans indicate that settlement expansion is not limited to the construction of new residential units, but also includes changing the nature of Palestinian land use and expanding industrial, commercial and public service facilities, preparing the settlements for further expansion and growth at the expense of Palestinian land.
