JERUSALEM: An Israeli monitoring group says that West Bank settlement construction surged during the first year of the Trump presidency.
Peace Now says Israel began construction of 2,783 settlement homes in 2017. That is about 17 percent higher than the annual average since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office in 2009.
President Donald Trump has taken a softer line toward settlements than his predecessors, asking Israel to show restraint but avoiding strong condemnations of past presidents. His Mideast peace team is dominated by people with close ties to the settlement movement.
In Sunday’s report, Peace Now stopped short of blaming the Israeli surge exclusively on Trump.
It said the jump in construction attests to Netanyahu’s “steadfast abetting” of the settlements. But it said the new president “had no marginal deterrent effect.”
Settlements grew under Trump presidency - Israeli monitor
Settlements grew under Trump presidency - Israeli monitor
Iran missile barrage sparks explosions over Tel Aviv
- Two near-simultaneous waves of explosions reverberating across the city
- Israel’s emergency services confirms plenty of damage but said there were no casualties
TEL AVIV: The latest Iranian missile barrage sparked a wave of explosions across Tel Aviv as firefighters worked to contain a blaze at a residential building near Israel’s commercial hub on Friday.
The blasts came after Israel expanded its campaign against Hezbollah, vowing retribution against the Tehran-backed militant group for joining the conflict following the killing on Saturday of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s state broadcaster said Tehran had fired missiles “against targets in the heart of Tel Aviv,” after Israel’s military said it was working to intercept incoming Iranian fire late Thursday.
AFP journalists in Tel Aviv heard two near-simultaneous waves of explosions reverberating across the city.
Rocket trails also lit up the sky in Netanya, a city north of Tel Aviv on Israel’s Mediterranean coast.
After the barrage, Israel’s emergency services, the Magen David Adom (MDA), said its teams had visited several reported impact sites but that there were no casualties.
Israeli police said it was “currently handling scenes involving fallen projectiles in central Israel,” adding that there was “damage” but no injuries.
A projectile hit a building on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, forcing residents to evacuate.
At another residential site near Israel’s economic hub, firefighters worked to put out a blaze caused by falling debris after an Iranian rocket fire was intercepted.
Israel’s Home Front Command issues several rocket fire warnings early Friday for communities near the Lebanon border.
