Palestinians Erect ‘Tent City’ to Protest Settlements in W.B.

Dozens of Palestinians have set up tents in the occupied West Bank, in a bid to preserve the area for an independent Palestinian state. Around 20 large, steel-framed tents were set up in the disputed E1 area, where the Zionist entity plans to build settlements.

Zionist police have blocked entry to the site and there is still no decision on what is to be done with those already there.

“We are setting up a Palestinian village here where people will stay permanently in order to protect this Palestinian land,” Mohammad Khatib, one of the organizers of the tent village, told Reuters news agency.

The encampment has been named “Bab el Shams,” which means “Gateway to the Sun” in Arabic. The tents are providing temporary homes and a health clinic for activists.

The site covers 4.6 square miles (12 square km) and backs onto East Jerusalem, where Palestinians want to establish their capital.

“The project began roughly one month ago, by residents of nearby Palestinian villages in danger of having their lands frozen to accommodate settler expansions,” Palestinian activist Abdallah Abu Rahma told the Zionist daily Haaretz.

“Palestinians are no longer content with policies of occupation and settlement,” Rahmaa stated.

The building of Zionist settlements faced protest by many international powers which believe the move will affect the Zionist -Palestinian peace deal. Direct peace talks between the usurping entity and Palestine broke down in 2010.

The Zionist authority has frozen building in E1 area for many years, after coming under pressure from then US President George W. Bush.

However, Netanyahu announced settlement plans after the Palestinians won de-facto state recognition at the UN General Assembly last year. Those plans involve building around 4,000 housing units in the area.

Around 500,000 Zionist settlers and 2.5 million Palestinians live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.