Egypt condemns new Israeli settlement construction plan in Jerusalem

Egypt has condemned the Israeli announcement of establishing about 8,300 new settlement units in Jerusalem.

In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the plan constitutes a new violation of international legitimacy and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The Israeli authorities have approved the building of thousands of new settlement units on the Palestinian land extending from Beit Safafa neighbourhood to al-Walaja village, south of Jerusalem, Paleatine’s official WAFA news agency reported earlier in the day.

This settlement construction, which involves building towers up to 30 floors high, is scheduled to begin by 2021, and will continue until 2040, said WAFA.

The Palestinians want the eastern part of Jerusalem, which was occupied by Israel in 1967, to be the capital of their future independent state, while the Israelis insist that Jerusalem is their undivided eternal capital.

Hauwa Mustapha