Israel " approves construction of 1,500 housing colonial units

Finance Committee of the Jerusalem City Council approved Sunday a new budget for infrastructure aimed at adding 1,500 housing units in Ramat Shlomo settlement in occupied Jerusalem. Palestinian researcher, specialized in Israeli settlements affairs, Ahmad Son-Laban, stated that the units are meant for expanding Ramat Shlomo settlement towards the Palestinian town of Shu’fat and the Ramot settlement. Sob-Laban said that this plan would lead to more illegal annexation of Palestinian lands in Shu’fat, and will seriously limit any possibility of expanding Shu’fat and Beit Hanina from their western sides. Under the plan, Israel would be illegally confiscating 580 Dunams of Palestinian lands in Shu’fat. He further stated that appeals have been filed against the plan, but the Israeli Constructions Committee rejected some of the appeal, and did not even look into the rest. The move comes just after Israelis and Palestinians resumed talks after a five-year stalemate. Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem is one of the thorniest issues separating the two sides, Yediot Ahranot Hebrew newspaper said.