Israel publishes tenders for West Bank housing

Israel’s Construction and Housing Ministry published tenders for more than 1,000 housing units in communities located in the West Bank near Jerusalem.

The communities, which include Beitar Illit, Har Homa and Givat Ze’ev, are part of 6,000 tenders for across the country.

Construction Minister Ariel Atias of the Shas party said his ministry decided to offer the tenders in light of the Palestinians being accepted into UNESCO, the United Nations scientific and cultural organization.

Construction reportedly will start at most of the sites within a year, Haaretz reported.

Also Sunday, a ministerial committee rejected a bill that would retroactively legalize West Bank outposts built on Palestinian land. The bill would have legalized the outposts if they were not challenged by the alleged Palestinian landowner within four years.

In September, more than 1,000 new housing units were approved in eastern Jerusalem’s Gilo neighborhood. The proposal brought condemnation from around the world.