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Israeli settlement plan in West Bank stirs tensions ahead of Biden trip

US President Joe Biden's visit to the region occurs as Israel escalates military policies in the West Bank and unveils new settlement plans.
Bedouins' sheep and structures are pictured in the village of Humsah al-Baqia in the Israeli occupied West Bank.

US President Joe Biden and outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Nafali Bennett had hoped for ‘calm’ ahead of Biden’s visit, but Israeli settlement plans may make that unrealistic. Reports of a new massive settlement project in the West Bank are proving controversial among Palestinians.

Israel Hayom newspaper revealed June 13 a settlement plan to build a national park covering around 1 million dunams (a dunam equals 1,000 square meters) between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea in the West Bank. 

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