TEL AVIV, February 21, 2007, (WAFA)-Israeli Peace Now organization said that 268,000 Jewish colonisers resided in the colonies in the West Bank in 2006, a growth of 5% as compared to 2005.

In its annual report issued on Wednesday on outposts in WB, Peace Now revealed that in 2006 a total of 952 tenders were published for construction contracts in the occupied territories, all of these were published post general elections (March 2006). In comparison in 2005 there were a total of 1184 tenders published.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics in for the first three quarters of 2006 a total of 1,272 construction starts were recorded. This is in contrast to 1,727 during 2005. However on the ground there is no significant change in the number of construction starts in comparison to the previous years, it added.

" In 2006 special security areas were constructed surrounding 6 settlements in the heart of the West Bank, east of the fence: Ateret, Nahaliel, Shavei Shomron, Avnei Hefetz, Karmei Tzur, Enav. In 2007 further security areas are planned to build around the settlements of Susiya and Ro'I, " Peace Now said.

As for bypass roads and infrastructure, Peace Now pointed out that in 2006 the paving of the Za'atara bypass road has continued, this bypass road is meant to connect the colonies of Tko'a and Nokdim with Jerusalem. Also continuing was the work on the Anatot /Mt. Scopus road in order to allow the Anatot settlers to commute to Jerusalem without having to travel outside the fence. Also in 2006 work began to pave the Ofarim - Beit Arye Bypass.

According to Peace Now evaluations today in the West Bank work on over 3000 units are in place. The largest construction sites can be found in Ma'ale Adumim, Modi'in Illit, Beitar Illit, Second largest building sites can be found in Ariel, Efrat, Alfei Menashe and Givat Zeev. Medium-sized building sites are found in El'azar, Karnei Shomron, Kiryat Arba, Alon (Kfar Adumim),Rosh Tzurim, Nirit site (Alfei Menashe), Kedumim.

M.H.(12:13 P)(10:13 GMT)