On Sunday (2/4/24), the Ministry of Housing published a tender for the construction of 62 units in the Efrat settlement, located south of Bethlehem.
The tender for the construction of 62 units (No. YS/47/2024) in Efrat is the first tender in 2024. 37 units are proposed in the free market, and 25 units are proposed for young couples and eligible individuals (AKA “the Target Price” program).
Efrat is one of the more problematic settlements in terms of the possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state because if it is annexed to Israel, it would cut the only main road connecting the southern areas of the West Bank to Bethlehem and the rest of the West Bank.
Peace Now: “Advancing construction deep in Palestinian territory, adjacent to Palestinian population, undermines the chances for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel and deepens the conflict. The current tender is a clear statement by the Israeli government that settlement construction continues unabated, and any political resolution is far from the goals of this government.”
