RAMALLAH, February 1, 2017 (WAFA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved on Tuesday the construction of thousands of new homes in illegal West Bank settlements, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman‘s office said in a statement.

This comes while the Israeli army is preparing to evacuate the illegal settlement outpost Amona as ordered by the Israeli High Court because it was built on private Palestinian land.

The statement said that Lieberman and Netanyahu agreed to approve the construction of more than 3,000 housing units in West Bank settlements, more than 2,000 of which are ready and the rest still under construction.

"We are in a new period in which life in Judea and Samaria is back on track," Lieberman said in the statement. "Judea and Samaria" is the Israeli term for the occupied West Bank.

According to Israeli daily Haaretz, the statement detailed some of the settlements in which construction was approved: Alfei Menashe, 700 homes; Oranit, 200; Nofim, 50; Beit Arye, 650; Efrat, 30; Nokdim, 150; Givat Ze‘ev, 150; Shavei Shomron, 70; Karnei Shomron, 100; Shilo, 100; Metzudot Yehuda, 100; Kfar Eldad, 80 and Beitar Illit, 650.

Last week, Netanyahu and Lieberman approved the construction and planning of some 2,500 new housing units in the West Bank.

Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to open an immediate investigation into Israel’s settlement activities.

“Israel continues to systematically violate the rights of the Palestinian people and to give a green light and support for settlers to take over more Palestinian land and to terrorize the Palestinian population. This immoral situation shouldn‘t continue to be tolerated by the International community. It has to end,” said Erekat in a statement.

M.N./M.K.