Israel to endorse 906 more illegal units

Israel is slated to allot permits towards the construction of 906 new housing units on Thursday in the first such authorization in a year, the Haaretz news website reported Wednesday.

The permits are being moved forward by war minister Moshe Ya’alon in a bid to lessen the blow of a High Court ruling that ordered the demolition of two illegal structures in the settlement of Beit El.

According to Haaretz, the Israeli Civil Administration in West Bank on Wednesday will issue 296 permits for units in Beit El, which will be constructed on a Border Police base that will be evacuated. The permits come after Beit El agreed to clear out five structures that were built on private Palestinian land.

Other settlements that will receive permits include Ma'ale Adumim, with 112 new units; Givat Zeev, with 381 units; Psagot, with 24 units; and Beit Arieh, with 27 units.

In addition, 22 units that were built illegally in the settlement of Giv'on will receive retroactive approval, as well as another 179 units built 20 years ago in Ofarim.

Israeli 'justice' minister Ayelet Shaked on Tuesday set up a committee intended to legalize West Bank illegal outposts and to determine which land is privately owned, claiming many tracts are of indeterminate status.