http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-claims-400-hectares-in-west-bank-for-state-use-9702112.htmlIsrael has announced plans to expropriate 400 hectares of land in the occupied West Bank in a move Palestinian officials claim will cause more friction after the Gaza conflict.The announcement concerning land south of Bethlehem, inside what Israelis call the Etzion bloc of settlements, comes after Israel determined the land was not cultivated with enough intensity for the Palestinians to maintain their ownership rights.
Signs have already been posted on the land by military administrators saying “state land – no trespassing”. Dror Etkes, head of the Kerem Navot NGO which specialises in West Bank land issues, said: “There is enough territory for a very big settlement with thousands of units.”
The notice published by the military gave no reason for the decision, but Israel Radio said the step was taken in response to the kidnapping and killing of three Jewish teenagers in the area in June.
The United States has criticised the annoucement and branded it counter-productive to peace efforts.
Topic: Israel to appropriate 400 hectares in West Bank for ‘state use’ (Read 533 times)