Israel Approves 567 New Housing Units in Hebron Hills Settlements

Israel's Higher Planning Council has approved plans for the construction of 567 new housing units within the Hebron Hills regional council. The decision includes the final regulation of the community of Asa'el and a significant expansion of the Beit Hagai settlement.

A plan for 342 housing units in Asa'el was approved for validation. Founded in 2001 as part of the "young settlement" movement, Asa'el currently houses about 100 families in temporary structures. The approval will regularize the community's status and allow for the absorption of hundreds of additional families.

Concurrently, a plan for 225 housing units in Beit Hagai, established in 1983, was approved for validation. This new construction is expected to double the settlement's size in the coming years.

Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry, Bezalel Smotrich, who spearheaded the initiative with the Civil Administration and the Settlement Administration, described the approvals as a strategic and security move aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state. He criticized opposition members Yisrael Katz, Avigdor Lieberman, and Meir Cohen, asserting that the government's actions in Judea and Samaria also protect communities in the Lachish region, Kiryat Gat, Lehavim, and Beersheba.

Head of the Hebron Hills Regional Council, Eiram Azulai, welcomed the approvals, stating they will strengthen the hold on the area, expand communities, and enable the absorption of new families.