RAMALLAH, Jan 23 (KUNA) — The Israeli municipality controlling the occupied city of Jerusalem approved 7300 new housing units to be added to five Israeli settlements located inside and around the city of Jerusalem, according to Israeli TV Channel 2.
The announcement was made by the Mayor of the Israeli municipality, Youri Lewinski during an interview with the Israeli TV Channel late last night.
Lewinski said that 3000 units will be added to Gilo settlement inside Jerusalem and around 1700 will be added to Bisgat Za’iv settlement, 1000 to Harhuma settlement 1200 in Ramot settlement and 400 in Navih Yakov settlement.
According to Israeli media sources who stated that the new construction order was made by the settlement planning committee and the Israeli Jerusalem municipality, adding that that the Israeli Prime Minister Ehod Olmert was not informed of this plan and he was forced to accept it as a reality.
The Israeli government had pledged late November 2007 during the one-day Annapolis Conference that took place in Maryland USA, to halt settlement activity and stop all attacks on the Palestinians in order to make room for the political process.
Lately the US Administration has condemned the Israeli decision of continuing to expand and build settlements and urged the Israeli government to commit to the Road Map Peace process.
There are 200,000 Israeli settlers that live in 12 settlements inside and around the city of Jerusalem in a settlement that was constructed by Israel after occupying the city in 1967.