Israel to sell new units in al-Quds

Israel plans to sell 3,000 new settler units in al-Quds (Jerusalem) next year, less than a week after Tel Aviv approved the construction of 1,300 units in East al-Quds.

Israeli weekly Kol Hair reported in its latest edition that the 3,000 settlement units were mainly located in East al-Quds, which Palestinians consider the capital of their future independent state.

Shlomo Eshkol, an engineer appointed by the Jerusalem municipality, was quoted by the weekly as saying that Israel also had a long-term project to build 50,000 settlement units in al-Quds over the next decade.

The units are located in west al-Quds neighborhoods of Arnona and Ramat Rachel, and the Givat Hamatos and Har Homa districts of east al-Quds.

Israel occupied al-Quds in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it in a move not recognized by the international community and the United Nations.

The weekly’s report comes less than week after settlement watchdog Peace Now said Israel has approved the construction of more than 1,300 settlement units Ramot and Har Homa.

Israel’s settlement plan in the occupied West Bank is considered the main obstacle to direct talks between Tel Aviv and the Palestinian Authority.

The negotiations were stalled after Israel refused to extend the partial 10-month moratorium on its settlement activities, which ended late September.