Jerusalem's Israeli municipality discusses plans to build 7600 units

Wafa– The Israeli human rights organization, Ir Amim, said Wednesday that the Israeli Sub-Committee to Advance Settlement Construction, has discussed plans to build 7900 new housing units in East Jerusalem settlements.

In the statement, Ir Amim said that the plans will add 4400 units to existing settlement units in the occupied eastern section of Jerusalem.

The sub-committee was formed at the request of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an attempt to lower the prices of real estates in the Israeli market, in addition to speed up the building of the units, especially in East Jerusalem.

The human rights group also pointed out that these plans come with existing projects, like the one to add 940 units to the settlement of Har Homa and 942 units to Gilo, which are located south of Jerusalem, in addition to a plan to build 1500 new units in Ramat Rahel and on 290 dunums of land near the settlement, south of Bethlehem.

The committee also discussed adding 625 units to Pisgat Zaav settlement, which exists on Palestinian land in Beit Hanina and Shoufat neighborhoods, north of Jerusalem.

Ir Amim said the number one topic discussed was adding about 1600 units to a settlement in Shoufat, which was the reason for the tension between Israel and the US when it was revealed last year.

Another settlement expansion was proposed by the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem, which called on adding 180 new units to a settlement on the land of the town of Um Lisson and Sour Baher, south of the city.