Palestinians have accused Israel of accelerating the legalization of around 130 outposts in the West Bank.
In its report on Saturday, the PLO's National Office for the Defense of Land and Resistance of Settlement said that the Knesset has started settling the outposts and the Israeli cabinet is legalizing them in advance.
The Knesset gave an initial 60-40 approval to a bill that would legalize some West Bank outposts. The bill was presented by the Land of Israel Lobby, chaired by lawmaker Bezalel Smotrich.
It would require that all government entities recognize the neighborhoods and settlement communities, including for purposes of government funding, and assistance with infrastructure. The bill, if passed into law, would legalize dozens of West Bank settlements considered illegal under current Israeli law. It would also formally allow them to be connected to electricity and water supplies.
According to the report, approving the bill didn’t shock the Palestinians.
The Office noted that the Israeli cabinet has contributed to constructing 14 outposts since 2011. The successive governments funded the construction of these outposts in a direct or indirect manner.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the Israeli parliament’s approval.
The Israeli decision means seizing swathes of lands to construct roads and infrastructure for the outposts, according to the ministry. If this bill was finalized, then the right-wing would partly be granted the green light to lay hands over more Palestinian lands.
The ministry warned of the repercussions that would ensue from approving this bill, especially that it would undermine the two-state solution and any opportunity for peace.
Jordan condemned the Israeli bill legalizing illegal settlement outposts built across the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Foreign Ministry called the move a “flagrant and gross” breach of international law and international legitimacy resolutions.
The Israeli settlement outposts are neither legitimate nor legal, and are built on private Palestinian territory, said spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Daifallah Al-Fayez.
He called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop its settlement construction policy.
