On Thursday, Israel confiscated several plots of land near a large Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank.
However, a source familiar with the decision informed Reuters that there are currently no plans for construction on the seized land.
The Civil Administration, part of the Israeli Defense Ministry, announced that the total area of the confiscated land amounts to 652 acres.
According to an Israeli source, these areas will now be classified as part of the Ma’ale Adumim settlement located to the east of Jerusalem.
Palestinian Authority spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh stated that the Israeli government’s declaration to seize vast expanses of land in the West Bank, east of Jerusalem, is a continuation of its plan to isolate the city from its Palestinian surroundings and complete the comprehensive war waged against the Palestinian people and their Islamic and Christian holy sites.
Abu Rudeineh emphasized that the Israeli occupation authorities are blatantly defying international legitimacy and its resolutions, which have affirmed the illegality of settlements in all Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
Israel occupied the West Bank during the 1967 war, and it remains one of the territories Palestinians seek for a future state.
Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal, a stance Israel rejects.
The nationalist-religious government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supports the settlements, causing friction with the United States despite the allies’ alignment on Israel’s war in Gaza.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on February 24 that Washington views the West Bank settlements as contrary to international law, reflecting a return to the US stance previously overturned by the administration of former President Donald Trump.
