Construction in West Bank settlements sees 40 percent rise
Xinhua, September 15, 2016 Adjust font size:
New construction in the Jewish settlements in the Israeli-held West Bank sharply increased in the first half of 2016, figures released by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics showed on Wednesday.
According to the official publication, the number of construction starts rose by 40 percent during the first six months of 2016, in comparison to the previous six months.
At the same time, the rate of new construction within Israel's internationally accepted borders decreased by three percent.
Israeli companies started to build 1,195 housing units during the first half of 2016, in comparison to 850 housing units in July-December 2015.
The settlements, built on lands that Israel occupied in 1967, are illegal under international law. They are constructed on lands claimed by the Palestinians as their future state.
Some 330,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank under heavy security guard, surrounded by about two million Palestinians.
On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu triggered international criticism after he accused the Palestinian leadership of supporting an "ethnic cleansing" of Jews in the West Bank because of their objection to the settlements.
The U.S. State Department condemned the statement as "inappropriate and unhelpful." Endit