Jerusalem: A Palestinian official said on Thursday that the Israeli authorities are planning to build more than 17,000 settlement units in different parts of Jerusalem for Jewish settlers, Anadolu News Agency reported.
In a written statement, the Palestinian Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Fadi Al-Hadmi described the Israeli settlement activity as a “crazy tsunami.”
As per the media reports, the projects include a plan to build 10,000 housing units on the grounds of Al-Quds International Airport in Qalandia in the northern part of the city.
Israeli authorities also plan to construct 3,500 housing units within the E1 area in eastern Jerusalem, 1,250 units within the Givat Hamatos settlement, 2,000 in the French Hill settlement and 470 in the Pisgat Zeev settlement.
On the other hand, the Palestinian minister indicated that Israel is expelling dozens of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood and Silwan town, accompanied by a noticeable increase in house demolitions.
“Since the beginning of this year, more than 140 buildings have been demolished in Jerusalem,” Al Hadmi said.
The Palestinians want east Jerusalem to be the capital of a future state including the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which Israel also seized in that war. Israel claims that the entire city of Jerusalem is its indivisible capital.
More than 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and Israel took control of the West Bank in 1967 and established settlements on it, which are considered in violation of international law.