Israel’s Higher Planning Council in the Civil Administration approved 576 new housing units across the West Bank on Wednesday, as part of the government’s policy. Alongside construction plans in various communities, the council also greenlit a new project in Hebron—a roughly 1,000-square-meter building for the Shavei Hevron yeshiva, near Beit Romano.
The Hebron approval is considered especially significant following Finance Minister and Defense Ministry Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s decision to strip Hebron’s municipality of authority to approve certain planning processes in the area. Following the change, the project was approved directly by Israeli planning institutions without requiring approval from the Palestinian municipality—the first time in decades.
As part of the approved decisions, the community of Mitzpe Yericho in the Binyamin region received approval to deposit a large-scale construction plan including 456 new housing units, designed to enable the community’s expansion and absorption of thousands of additional residents in the future. Additionally, in the Al Matan neighborhood of Karnei Shomron, 120 housing units were given final approval after lengthy planning processes and the removal of objections filed against the plan.
Finance Minister and Defense Ministry Minister Bezalel Smotrich welcomed the move, saying “we continue to build the Land of Israel in practice and implement practical sovereignty in the settlements.” According to him, the expansion of Mitzpe Yericho and the establishment of the new building for Shavei Hevron yeshiva are “important and moving steps” that strengthen Israel’s hold on the ground and the country’s security.