Israel approves 78 new houses in illegal settlements
The Israeli government has approved the construction of 78 new structures in Palestinian territory, despite the fact that the international community, including the United States, believes such settlements are illegal under international law.
Reuters reports the permits apply to the areas known as Har Homa and Romat. Fifty new housing units were approved in Har Homa, and 28 were approved in Romat.
The 78 new structures come on the heels of announcements that Israel would construct 4,000 new housing units on illegally occupied West Bank territory. The announcements come during the tensest time in recent memory in the region. Over the summer, Israel invaded the Gaza Strip in retribution for the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli settlers. The invasion saw the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians, while thousands more were left homeless after Israeli airstrikes and artillery bombardments. The Israeli government also came under searing criticism for attacking clearly designated United Nation's refugee centers and schools, killing civilians who were seeking safety. The Gaza invasion and continued illegal settlements have fueled Palestinian resentment and spurred a wave of lone wolf attacks in Israel. These attacks have seen things like cars and bulldozers turned into weapons as Palestinians seek to terrorize Israelis. In one attack, a child was killed when a Palestinian drove his vehicle into a crowd of Israelis as they waited to take public transportation. In another recent incident that grabbed international headlines, Palestinian extremists attacked and killed four Rabbis as they prayed in a Jerusalem synagogue. Three of the dead were American citizens. Their attackers were killed by Israeli police shortly after the incident. As illegal settlements continue to encroach on Palestinian territory, it is unlikely that the violence rocking the region will subside any time soon.
