Israel plans to build 1,355 homes for settlers in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli Ministry of Construction announced that tenders for 1,355 homes had been published. Houses were built in seven settlements.

according to Israeli media Construction will start immediately after that. Israel’s plans have come under international criticism. Neighboring Jordan, among other countries, strongly condemns the construction. The government notes that settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. In Jordan, a large part of the population is of Palestinian origin. But if it were up to Israel, there would be more homes in the settlements: there is talk of building thousands more settler homes.

The Israeli authorities not only allowed the construction of 1,355 homes, but also allowed the construction of at least 1,300 new homes for Palestinians. These are homes in what is called Area C, the Israeli-controlled part of the West Bank.

Permits are often not granted to many Palestinian homes in this area. But critics say it still represents a fraction of the number of building permits Palestinians submit each year.