Israeli government announces new settlement plan

When she drives on a road in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian urban planner Safa Odeh is always on guard. The road axis connects two huge settlements: Maale Adumim to the north and Kedar to the south. “We are Palestinians, so we are not sure if we will be allowed to come here. The Israelis plan to take control of all these lands,” she explains. The plan was announced by far-right Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich. It plans to seize 800 hectares of Palestinian land.

Bedouin villages under threat

The goal is to expand existing settlements and control the roads connecting them. For Palestinians, any travel from north to south would therefore become almost impossible. They fear that the occupied West Bank will be cut in two. On the Israeli side, the settlers, on the other hand, welcome the government’s plan. Several dozen Bedouin villages built without permits are threatened. For fear of reprisals from the most violent settlers, their Palestinian inhabitants refuse to testify on camera.