jordan pulse -

Israel opened a new settlement named "Ma'ale Arugot" on Wednesday evening within the "Gush Etzion" settlement block in the southern occupied West Bank, attended by several ministers and Knesset members, according to Israel's Channel 7.
The channel reported that "Ma'ale Arugot" is the third settlement to be opened within a week, noting that it was established along an axis connecting the western and eastern portions of the "Gush Etzion" block.
The report quoted the "Gush Etzion" Regional Council as stating that the settlement's establishment aims to reinforce the settlement presence in the region and contiguous settlement territory between parts of the block.
The opening ceremony was attended by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Minister Zeev Elkin, Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli, Chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Boaz Bismuth, and Head of the "Gush Etzion" Regional Council Yaron Rosenthal.
On Monday, Israel had opened two other settlements: the first named "Makeda" or "Doran" northwest of the city of Hebron, and the second named "Noa" south of the "Ganim" and "Kadim" settlements built on Palestinian land southeast of Jenin in the northern West Bank.
The "Gush Etzion" block is located in the southern West Bank between the cities of Bethlehem and Hebron, representing one of the most prominent Israeli settlement blocs in the region.
The occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has seen an expansion in settlement activity since the formation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government in late 2022. The international community and the United Nations consider Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories illegal under international law.
According to Palestinian data, more than 750,000 Israeli settlers reside in the West Bank, including approximately 250,000 in East Jerusalem, distributed across more than 141 settlements and 224 outposts.
WAFA