PA blasts Israeli approval of Judea and Samaria construction

The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Wednesday condemned the new Israeli decision to build over 2,000 new housing units for Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria.

It called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop its “settlement” activity in the “Palestinian territories”.

“The Israeli decision violates all international legitimacy resolutions, including the Resolution 2334 that considered all Israeli settlements on the lands of Palestine state illegal,” Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas, said in a press statement quoted by the Xinhua news agency.

He said that the area “will not be enjoying stability without stopping the Israeli violations against the Palestinians.”

The Civil Administration’s Higher Planning Committee earlier on Wednesday approved 2,166 new housing units in Judea and Samaria, with the committee expected to meet again Thursday to approve close to 3,000 additional housing units, for a total of roughly 5,000 units.

This is the first time since February that the Higher Planning Committee approved new housing units in Judea and Samaria.

While the committee was scheduled to meet in May, the meeting was repeatedly delayed, then cancelled, with no explanation given.