Netanyahu says 'there will be no Palestinian state'
What's the story
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that "there will be no Palestinian state," as he signed an agreement to proceed with a contentious settlement expansion plan that will cut across the West Bank land. "This place belongs to us," Netanyahu said during a visit to the Ma'ale Adumim settlement in the West Bank. The development, known as "East 1" or "E1," will build 3,400 new homes for Israeli settlers on a 12-square-kilometer area east of Jerusalem.
Statehood jeopardized
Move 'pushing the entire region toward the abyss'
The settlement expansion is seen as a major blow to the possibility of a future Palestinian state. It would cut off much of the West Bank from occupied East Jerusalem, which Palestinians envision as their capital. Palestinian Authority spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh has called this move "pushing the entire region toward the abyss." He also stressed that a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital is vital for peace.
Plan
Defense Ministry's Civil Administration approved the plans
The E1 project received final planning approval last month. Thursday's signing ceremony was mostly symbolic, but it permitted officials to proceed with construction. The Defense Ministry's Civil Administration approved the plans, which would see the construction of 3,412 dwelling units in a new neighborhood called Maale Adumim. The project's total investment, which includes road construction and infrastructure upgrades, is expected to cost $1 billion.
Rising tensions
Settlement expansion amid rising violence in Israel-Palestine conflict
The settlement expansion comes amid rising violence in both the West Bank and Gaza. A recent shooting attack in Jerusalem killed six people, prompting Israeli forces to storm towns and demolish the homes of the Palestinian suspects in the West Bank, which is home to around three million Palestinians and about 500,000 Israeli settlers In Gaza, Netanyahu continues to push "voluntary migration," which critics see as forced displacement and ethnic cleansing.