BETHLEHEM, May 16, 2015 (WAFA) - Israeli authorities Saturday informed al-Khader town's municipality to the south of Bethlehem of their intent to built a roundabout in the town at the expense of Palestinian-owned land in the area, reported a local activist.

Coordinator of the anti wall and settlement committee in the town, Ahmad Salah, informed WAFA that he received a phone call from an official of the Israeli civil administration in Gush Etzion settlement bloc, informing him of their intent to build a roundabout in the town; which if built would take over land belonging to five locals in the area.

The land belongs to Mohammed Ghareeb, Hassan Salah, Khaled Salah, Mohammed Mousa, and Ibrahim Sbaih.

Activist Salah stressed that this Israeli project aims to take over more land for the benefit of expanding the nearby illegal settlement of Ifrat.

In March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to build thousands of new Jewish-only settlements in the occupied East Jerusalem if re-elected to the premiership, said the Middle East Monitor.

“We will build thousands of housing units in Jerusalem and continue to develop our eternal capital,” Netanyahu said during a visit to occupied East Jerusalem's Jewish-only Har Homa settlement.

Settlements are illegal under international law as they violate Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the transfer of the occupying power’s civilian population into occupied territory.

T. R.