Middle East Monitor / July 21, 2023
Extremist Jewish settlers erected a new Jewish settlement outpost today in the Palestinian neighbourhood of Al-Sawahreh, based east of Occupied Jerusalem, reported WAFA news agency.
The land where the outpost is being established belongs to the Palestinian family of Abu Hussein, according to the residents of the neighbourhood.
Mohammad Abu Hussein, one of the landlords of the neighbourhood, told WAFA, that other owners, including himself, were shocked to wake up to a group of Israeli settlers occupying their lands after setting up residential structures there and play areas for their kids.
It comes after Israel’s far-right Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, called on his extremist followers to take over hilltops in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and build settlements on them.
Current estimates report that there are around 700,000 Jewish settlers living in 164 Jewish settlements and 116 outposts in the Occupied West Bank and Occupied East Jerusalem, with that set to expand as Tel Aviv frequently approves thousands of more settlement units.
Under international law, both the West Bank and East Jerusalem are occupied territories. All settlement building is, therefore, illegal.
