’Israel’ Plans to Build more than 3,000 New Settlements

Local Editor

"Israeli" Settling Minister Uri Ariel has invited bids for 1,500 new units in illegal Zionist settlements in retaliation for a new unity Palestinian government, reports said on Thursday.

Just hours later, the "Israeli" government ordered officials to move forward with plans for another 1,800 settler units, an official said.

"The political echelon has ordered the Civil Administration to advance 1,800 new units," the "Israeli" official said on condition of anonymity, referring to a war ministry unit responsible for all West Bank planning issues.
"Israeli" media reports said the plans had been frozen by the government some three months ago.

Of the new units, at least 400 will be in "Israeli" Occupied al-Quds with the rest elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, the online edition of Haaretz newspaper reported.

"I congratulate the decision to give a proper Zionist response to the establishment of the Palestinian terror cabinet," the paper quoted Ariel as saying.
"The right and duty of "Israel" to build across the country to lower the prices is unquestionable, and I believe these tenders are just the beginning," said the minister, who is a member of the far-right "Jewish Home party".
The Palestinian Authority demanded Thursday that Washington take "serious steps" against "Israeli" settlements.
"It is time for the American administration to take serious steps against what the government of Israel is doing," Nimr Hammad, an adviser to PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

"We strongly condemn this decision which affirms that Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu is a liar and is not interested in the "two-state solution"."

"Netanyahu wants to push the Palestinians into one of two options: either a confrontation, or an internationalization of the conflict - pushing the Palestinians to go to the United Nations."
Abbas's spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said "Israel's" settlement policy was "unacceptable" and warned of a harsh response from the new government.

"The Palestinian leadership will respond in an unprecedented way to this step," he said.
Chief negotiator Saeb Erakat accused "Israel" of using Palestinian reconciliation as an "excuse to continue the colonization of Palestine" and said Netanyahu's government appeared to be on the verge of a "major escalation" in the territories.

"We believe this latest announcement is a clear sign that "Israel" is moving towards a major escalation, such as new settlement construction, the annexation of occupied territory and forcible transfer," he said.

The "Israeli" announcement comes amid "Israeli" anger at its US ally's decision to work with the new merged administration for the West Bank and Gaza formed by Abbas on Monday with the support of the Hamas movement.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team