'TEL AVIV, February 29, 2025 (WAFA) - Israel's Ministerial Committee for Legislation is expected to approve on Sunday a bill that will enable the annexation of West Bank settlements around Jerusalem, according to the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz.

The bill proposes the creation of 'metropolitan Jerusalem,' which would incorporate nearby West Bank settlements, fully annexing them to Israel. According to the bill's explanatory notes, the law will restore it as the heart of the Jewish people, said Haaretz.

If passed through the Knesset’s three legal readings, the proposed bill could create a "metropolitan Jerusalem," incorporating settlements in East Jerusalem, including Ma'ale Adumim, Givat Ze'ev, Efrat, and Ma'ale Mikhmas, according to Haaretz.

The settlements outlined in the proposed legislation are situated to the north, east, and south of East Jerusalem, within territories classified as part of the West Bank.

If enacted, the proposed bill could pave the way for further annexation in the West Bank, amid growing calls for expansion from Israel’s far-right.

The planned annexation "seeks to promote an illegal annexation under international law," the daily quoted a statement by the Israeli leftist Ir Amim rights group.

According to a statement from the Israeli leftist rights group Ir Amim, the proposed annexation aims to advance an annexation that is illegal under international law, as reported by Haaretz.

The group further stated that annexing West Bank settlements under the proposed bill would fragment the West Bank and deepen the isolation of East Jerusalem and its residents from the rest of the Palestinian territories.

T.R.