JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s Cabinet has unanimously approved a proposal to build over 700 housing units for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in addition to 6,000 Israeli settlement housing units.
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe the closed-door meeting, says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government advanced the proposal late Tuesday. It appeared timed to coincide with a visit by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and chief Mideast envoy Jared Kushner, who is expected in the region this week.
The permits would be for construction in Area C, the roughly 60% of the West Bank where Israel exercises full control, and where most settlements are located. Netanyahu’s government has approved the construction of tens of thousands of settler homes, but permits for Palestinian construction are extremely rare.