A plan for 770 housing units (TPS 175505) expanding Gilo southwards towards Beit Jala was deposited today for public objections. There is a 60 day period for submitting objections.

The deposited plan is a reparcilization plan for part of TPS 13261 which was approved by the District Committee after the United Nations General Assembly vote on recognizing Palestine as a non-member state. The full scope of plan 13261 is 1,241 housing units.

The deposit of the plan comes a few weeks after Israeli ministers complained about an "unofficial building freeze".

The advancement of the plan comes together with other steps solidifying Israeli control of the South-West perimeter of Jerusalem and connecting it to the Gush Etsion settlements:

On the other side of the wadi from plan 175505 are Beit Jala and the Cremizan Monastery where construction of the Separation Barrier is now taking place.

Adjacent to plan 175505 from the north construction is taking place for 797  housing units in the Gilo Western slopes plan.

The area extending northwestwards from plan 175505 towards the Har-Gilo settlement in Gush Etsion was declared as Nahal Rephaim National Park in August 2013. Three months ago construction for the visitor center of the national park near Ein Hania spring begun.

Betty Herschman, Ir Amim’s Director of International Relations & Advocacy is on holiday.

This alert was written by Ir Amim researcher Aviv Tatatrsky.
Please address all inquiries to Aviv -
aviv@ir-amim.org.il
052-6125119