JERUSALEM, August 10, 2026 (WAFA) – The Jerusalem Governorate reported that the so-called “District Planning and Building Committee,” affiliated with the Israeli occupation authorities, has deposited a plan to establish a new colonial settlement, named “Nofey Rachel,” at the main entrance to the Umm Tuba neighborhood, south of occupied Jerusalem, in a move that threatens to further restrict the neighborhood and its residents and reinforce colonial control over the area.

In a press statement today, the governorate said the plan calls for the construction of approximately 650 colonial housing units on about 27 dunums of land adjacent to Palestinian homes in Umm Tuba, making it part of a broader series of colonial plans being advanced in the southern areas of occupied Jerusalem.

It added that the plan's threat extends beyond the number of colonial housing units it proposes to build, as its location at the neighborhood's main entrance is expected to directly affect residents' daily lives and their movement to and from Umm Tuba, while further constraining the neighborhood's expansion and urban development.

The governorate noted that this comes as the Israeli occupation authorities continue to impose stringent restrictions on Palestinian construction in Umm Tuba and target residents with demolition and eviction notices, as well as measures related to land ownership and building permits, while facilitating large-scale colonial projects comprising hundreds of housing units.

The Jerusalem Governorate affirmed that these plans reflect a colonial policy aimed at further restricting the Palestinian presence and preventing its urban expansion, while simultaneously expanding colonization and imposing new realities on Palestinian land in occupied Jerusalem.

T.R.