Jerusalem governorate warns against Israeli approval of 13 new settlements

The Jerusalem governorate released a statement on Thursday, warning against the implications of the Israeli security cabinet's approval of a plan to establish 13 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, which would further isolate Jerusalem.

The governorate said that the move reflects a wider Israeli policy of accelerating settlement expansion and land seizure, particularly during election periods, when, it said, Palestinian land and lives become part of Israeli political competition.