Hebron governor warns of severe reaction to new settlement

Published today (updated) 01/02/2010 14:57

Hebron – Ma'an –

Governor of Hebron Hussein Al-Araj warned that renewed illegal Israeli settlement building in the area "are pushing Palestinians to react seriously," he said on Sunday evening.

Israel is not offering Palestinians motivation to return to negotiations by continuing settlement construction in the West Bank, Al-Araj said, which justifies President Mahmoud Abbas' refusal to return to negotiations while building of settlements and the separation wall is ongoing.

"Let everyone know that Israeli settlement construction is still in place, contrary to Israeli allegations," he said.

Al-Araj's comments follow the laying of the foundations of a new block to the Beit Hagai settlement, south of Hebron City.

More Homes For Illegal Israeli Settlers In Hebron

Monday February 01, 2010 09:31 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

On Sunday, the Israeli occupation government Minister without portfolio, Benni Begin, placed the corner stone of ten new homes for Jewish settlers in the illegal settlement of Beit Hagai, south of Hebron in the southern part of the occupied West Bank.

During the ceremony, Begin said that this issue is part of what he described as “The country’s right to build in the Land of Israel”. “There is nothing out of the ordinary here”, he added.

Begin also said that his presence here means that Israel will continue to build settlements, and that there is no difference between a smaller settlement and a settlement bloc, “they will all expand, they will all thrive,” he stated.

He further claimed that the constructions do not contradict the temporary settlement freeze in the occupied West Bank, and that the new constructions in Beit Hagai were approved by the government more than three months ago, and that the government also approved the construction of 3000 more homes for Jewish settlers in the West Bank.

The Israeli government declared a ten-month settlement freeze in November of last year, but also decided that this freeze does not include Jerusalem or public structures in West Bank settlements.

The Palestinian Authority in Ramallah is demanding that Israel stop all of its settlement activities in the West Bank and in occupied East Jerusalem as a condition to resume the stalled peace talks.

By constructing settlements in the occupied territories, Israel is committing direct violations to international law and the Fourth Geneva Conventions.