RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Israeli government has recently approved more settlement projects within the Green Line, and in the 1967 occupied territories in the West Bank and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

On Dec. 26, the Israeli government approved a settlement plan in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights worth 1 billion Israeli shekels ($323 million). On Dec. 28, Israeli Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked announced the establishment of four settlements in the Negev Desert to bring in 3,000 Jewish families. This is part of a larger plan to establish 10 to 12 settlements in the Negev. The plan also includes implementing “national” infrastructure and industry projects, such as the high-voltage electricity project, railway project and phosphate factories.

Shaked is the spearhead leading settlement projects in the Negev Desert. Along with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, they reached an understanding with the Arab Joint List in the Knesset headed by Mansour Abbas on Nov. 3, 2021, regarding the projects in the Negev.

The understanding stipulates that Israel recognizes and develops three Arab villages in the Negev — Rakhma, Abdah and Khashm Zana — which are inhabited by approximately 7,000 Bedouins, and establishes a new city for the Bedouin community. In return, no less than 70% of the Bedouin population scattered in the Negev would sign an agreement to move to that city and villages and evacuate their lands within seven years. In addition, the lands allocated to Bedouins shall never be expanded in the future, as their area will be reduced from 13,000 dunams (3,212 acres) to 3,000 dunams (741 acres), i.e., Israel will confiscate 10,000 dunams (2,471 acres) of the people's lands.