Israel approves plans for 1,000 settlement homes in West Bank

Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has announced that the construction of 1,000 new settler homes will be “immediately advanced” in the West Bank, where two Palestinian gunmen killed four Israelis two days ago.

The office said on Wednesday in a statement that new housing units will be built in the Jewish settlement of Eli, where the shooting attack occurred. The move was described as “a response” to the shooting attack, in which a pair of Palestinian gunmen killed four Israelis and injured four others in a gas station outside Eli.

The controversial decision, which is expected to trigger condemnation by the Palestinians, was made by Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, Xinhua news agency reported.