Middle East - AP
Group Says Israeli Settlers' Activity Up
Date: Thu, Jul 22, 2004
By LAURIE COPANS, Associated Press Writer
JERUSALEM - Israeli settlers in areas of the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) and northern West Bank that are slated for evacuation have expanded outposts, built homes and prepared land for farming in recent months, an Israeli group said Thursday.
The revelation is yet another sign that settlers are doing everything possible to complicate Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites)'s plan to withdraw from Gaza and four West Bank settlements by the end of next year.
Peace Now, a pro-peace group which monitors settlements, said its field research and aerial photos show that settlers are expanding settlements and establishing unauthorized outposts in areas slated for evacuation.
"In general what we are seeing is a great surge in building," said Dror Etkes, who monitors settlement activity for Peace Now. "And it is occurring especially in those areas that are meant to be evacuated."
The United States has urged Israel to dismantle the outposts and stop settlement expansion as required by the U.S.-backed "roadmap" to peace.
Sharon has pledged to withdraw troops and the 7,500 settlers from the Gaza Strip by October 2005. According to his "disengagement plan," four isolated settlements in the northern West Bank will also be dismantled.
Settlers living in Neveh Dekelim in the Gaza Strip have begun construction on a new neighborhood in recent months, Peace Now said in a report released Thursday. In another Gaza settlement, Netzarim, settlers have brought in seven new mobile homes to increase the number of residents.
The West Bank settlement of Sa-Nur, which is slated for evacuation, has set up four mobile homes, Peace Now said.
Despite Israel's stated commitment to the roadmap, the government has not stopped settlers from building on or establishing farms on 188 hectares (75 acres) in Palestinian areas in the past two months alone, Etkes said at a press conference.
"The Israeli state is continuing to spread disinformation, half-truths and lies to the Israeli public — and to the world — regarding what it is doing or not doing in settlements," said Etkes.
Settlers hope outposts will be expanded to prevent land from being transferred to the Palestinians in any future peace agreement.
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