Israeli settlers angry at 'freeze in settlement expansion' in Beit El settlement

Israeli settlers have expressed anger after discovering that Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu had allegedly promised the US that he would freeze publicising tenders for new illegal settlement projects in the occupied West Bank, according to a report by Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post.

On Thursday, Netanyahu announced the approval to build 300 illegal settlement homes in the Beit El settlement. The next stage in their construction were announced to be carried out in September.

However, settlers say they were told on Friday that the plans Netanyahu had announced were halted.

They lashed out at Netanyahu and erected a “protest tent” outside the Knesset in Tel Aviv.

This is despite the fact that Netanyahu is a staunch advocate of building illegal settlements, and has demanded  that illegal settlers must be allowed to stay in Palestine in the event of a peace deal.

'Groundbreaking' expansion of settlements

On Tuesday, ground was broken in the West Bank after it was announced Israel will build a new settlement for the first time in two decades.

Netanyahu had vowed to build the new settlement to replace Amona, a settlement outpost built on private Palestinian land that was dismantled in February following an Israeli Supreme Court ruling.