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News Topical, Digital Desk : The Israeli cabinet on Sunday approved a proposal to build 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. These settlements include two that were evacuated in 2005, according to Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, who is pushing a settlement expansion agenda in the West Bank.
Smotrich wrote on X that this brings the total number of new settlements built in the past two years to 69. According to Peace Now, a monitoring group, the approval marks a 50 percent increase in the number of settlements in the West Bank during the current government's tenure, from 141 in 2022 to 210 after the approval. Settlements are widely considered illegal under international law.
Two arrested in connection with vehicle explosion
According to NI, Israeli police arrested two East Jerusalem residents suspected of detonating a vehicle, which seriously injured one person. Israeli security forces also detained three Gaza residents suspected of involvement in an attack in the southern city of Rahat on October 7, 2023.
However, after investigation, they stated that they had no involvement in the attack. There is no evidence that they entered Israel during the attack. They entered Israel legally before the war, holding valid work permits. Before the fighting with Hamas began, 17,000 Gazans were allowed to work in Israel.
Read More: Israel to build 19 new Jewish settlements in West Bank, cabinet approves
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