New West Bank Settlement 'Metzukei Erezt' Established Amid UK Sanctions

The first residential structures have been erected in the new Israeli settlement of Metzukei Erezt, located along Route 417 in the eastern West Bank's Benjamin region. According to the Benjamin Regional Council, the initial families are expected to move into the settlement within the coming weeks. Concurrently, work is underway to connect the settlement to essential infrastructure, including water and electricity, and to establish its first public building.

The establishment of Metzukei Erezt, described by the council as the first new settlement along Route 417 in decades, is presented as a direct response to recent British sanctions imposed on West Bank settlers. The council views the construction as a historical event, emphasizing that the settlement was planned and approved as an official and regulated community.

Israel Gantz, head of the Benjamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council (an umbrella organization for West Bank settlements), stated, "Our answer to the sanctions and boycotts is here, on the ground. While Britain tries to punish Jews for living and building in Judea and Samaria, we are erecting the first structures of a new settlement in the land of our ancestors." He added that British boycotts would not determine the future of the region and vowed to continue building despite such measures.

The timing of the construction coincides with the announcement of British sanctions against settlement activity in Judea and Samaria, with other countries reportedly joining the initiative. The structures placed are intended for the families of the settlement's core group.