Jerusalem — The UN envoy for the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, expressed concern on Monday about a relaxation of the procedure allowing the development of Israeli colonization in the occupied West Bank. “I am deeply concerned about the decision taken yesterday [dimanche] by the Israeli government to change the planning procedure in place since 1996, a measure that should accelerate the expansion of settlements” in the occupied West Bank, the Norwegian diplomat said in a statement issued by his office. In the absence of an official announcement on the subject, a senior Israeli official told AFP that the Israeli government had decided “to reduce unnecessary administrative procedures in the process of authorizing new constructions”.
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