On Wednesday, November 29, the Jerusalem District Planning Committee approved the plan for the construction of the Lower Aqueduct neighborhood (Plan 101-0808840). The approved plan proposes the construction of 1,738 housing units, said Peace Now in a statement.
Half of the Lower Aqueduct neighborhood is situated beyond the Green Line in East Jerusalem, and the other half is within the Green Line. However, its strategic location between the colonial neighborhoods of Givat Hamatos and Har Homa makes it particularly problematic from a political standpoint.
The Lower Aqueduct neighborhood plan was finally approved after internal deliberations, overcoming objections from the Jerusalem District Committee. A small portion of the objections mainly focused on issues related to open spaces and public areas. At the end of the discussion, it was decided to approve 1,738 housing units, distributed as follows: 1,230 residential units, 262 special housing units, and 246 small apartment units.
It is worth noting that alt
hough about half of the plan area is beyond the Green Line, and about half is within the Green Line, its strategic location between the colonial neighborhoods of Givat Hamatos and Har Homa makes it particularly problematic from a political standpoint, said the statement.
The plan effectively obstructs the last remaining corridor connecting the Palestinian neighborhoods of Beit Safafa and Shorafat with the rest of East Jerusalem. This plan poses a significant challenge to the possibility of creating a Palestinian urban continuum in East Jerusalem and obstructs almost every urban connection between Bethlehem and East Jerusalem it added.
The discussion on the plan’s approval for the construction of a new colonial neighborhood in East Jerusalem during the Gaza conflict aligns with the broader trend of advancing additional plans in East Jerusalem under the guise of wartime initiatives, said Peace Now.
Recently, the Planning Committee approved the plan for the Kidmat Zion settlement located in the Ras al-Amud ne
ighborhood. In September, just before the Israeli aggression started, the Jerusalem District Committee approved the Strip Plan for the construction of 3,500 housing units adjacent to the Givat Hamatos colonial neighborhood and southeast of the Lower Aqueduct colonial neighborhood.
Peace Now said that the Israeli government continues to undermine any viable two-state solution, advancing construction beyond the Green Line, further jeopardizing the security of everyone.
Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA