Plans for Construction of 3,365 Settlement Units in Jerusalem, Israel, Approved

Plans for the construction of 3,365 settlement units in Jerusalem’s eastern region have been approved by the Israeli Municipality through the Jerusalem Local Planning and Building Committee. 

The latter is responsible for issuing building permits, based on the approved local outline and/or detailed plans, and also for enforcement against illegal construction within their planning area and for preparing outline plans therein.

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In as much as the Jerusalem Local Planning and Building Committee has approved the unit settlement project, its implementation still requires approval from the Israel Planning Administration of the Israel Ministry of Interior.

The scope of the project for the construction of 3,365 settlement units in Jerusalem

The 3,365 settlement units project is forecasted to include the construction of 1,500 housing units, 200 protected rooms, and 500 student bedrooms on a land area of over 150 acres. It will be implemented within a framework of a 28-story tower and 11 residential complexes that include between 7 to 11 floors.

Additionally, the plan also includes about 800 square meters of commercial space and 6000 square meters of public buildings. Approximately 1.5 acres will be topped up for an open public area. The project also includes the expansion of the Hadassah Medical Centre.

The project’s settlement plans root from the expansion of the French Hill settlement that was built in the Isawiya lands. The Jerusalem Local Planning and Building Committee recommends to the district committee to approve the construction of 1,465 settlement units between the settlements of Givat HaMatos and Har Homa.

The regions are west of the Palestinian town of Sur Baher for the scheme of the Lower Canal south of East Jerusalem. Well notably, the settlement project is going to be built on Palestinian lands in Beit Safafa. The Israeli and Palestinian Governments both indicate that there are well over 650,000 settlers that are living in 116 outposts and 164 settlements in the West Bank, including in occupied Jerusalem.