Israel Begins New Settlement Construction and Road Building Near Hebron

Israeli occupation forces commenced construction of a new settlement and paved a settler road in Al-Majd, southwest of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on Thursday. Local sources reported that Israeli forces, accompanied by settlers, began bulldozing and construction work to establish the new settlement on residents' land east of Al-Majd village, near Dura town. They also started paving a settler road leading to this new settlement.

Yasser Al-Masharqa, head of the Al-Majd Village Council, stated that Israeli forces began gradually seizing land east of the village on October 7, 2023, and have since prevented residents from accessing it. He indicated that over 2,000 dunams of agricultural land and pastures, the primary income source for many villagers, have been confiscated. Al-Masharqa added that Israeli forces and settlers began digging and building the new settlement, which they named "Majd," on village land, an apparent attempt to seize the village's name as well, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

He confirmed that the occupation forces and settlers paved a road over three kilometers long, carved out of village land. This road connects the new settlement to the "Negohot" settlement and the road leading to the 1948 territories. This development threatens to deprive residents of access to thousands of dunams of surrounding agricultural land along these routes.