Wednesday, February 21, 2007

3,000 new Jewish settler homes being built: watchdog

Wed Feb 21, 6:55 AM ET

More than 3,000 Jewish settlement housing units are being built in the occupied West Bank where the Jewish population is growing steadily, Israel's anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now said Wednesday.

In its annual report on settlements -- considered illegal under international law -- the organisation said the largest sites of construction were in Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, Modiin Illit and Beitar Illit.

In addition, another 90 caravans were added to wildcat outposts -- which unlike full settlements are not authorised by Israel -- and of which permanent construction is taking place in 30, Peace Now said.

The existing 102 outposts are home to 2,000 settlers. Last year, one unpopulated outpost was dismantled.

Over the past year, the number of settlements remained the same at 121 and no new outposts were established, the report added.

The head of Peace Now highlighted the increased problem of large settlement blocs, thrusting deeper into Palestinian land, and continued construction in outposts the government had committed to tear down.

"The settlements blocs are becoming a huge problems, with increased building in the settlement blocs. They are getting bigger and getting deeper into the West Bank," Yariv Openheimer told AFP.

"Even outposts that have all the orders to be demolished and the state (made commitments) to the Israeli supreme court, we see continued construction and even permanent houses," he added.

Citing interior ministry statistics unveiled last month showing a 5.8 percent growth in the Jewish settler population, Peace Now said 268,00 settlers were living in the West Bank.

"In reality the growth of the settler population remains on a steady rate, and three times higher than the rate amongst Israel proper," it said.

Israel has repeatedly told the United States that it would dismantle wildcat outposts across the West Bank.

Under the now stalled internationally drafted roadmap plan for peace in the Middle East, Israel was to freeze settlement expansion.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert shelved an election promise to redraw the borders of the Jewish state by withdrawing from most of the West Bank and annexing the largest settlement blocs, following the summer war in Lebanon.

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