A view shows Palestinian houses in the West Bank village of Wadi Fukin as the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit is seen in the background, June 23, 2019. Photo: Reuters / Mussa Qawasma

i24 News – Israel’s Defence Minister Benny Gantz approved the construction of one thousand housing units by Palestinians within Area C in the West Bank, Ynet reported.

Such a move has not happened in years and comes in the context of Israeli and international efforts to strengthen the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Ynet received the information from Palestinians sources in Ramallah who expressed satisfaction with the decision, saying, “the move has political significance.”

Area C — constituting around 60 percent of the West Bank — is under full Israeli control, and frequently witnesses tensions between Israeli settlers and the PA with both attempting to establish facts on the ground through the construction of housing.

The planned construction will be in the villages of Atzara near Bethlehem, Bir al-Basha near Jenin, Khirbet Abba near Jenin, al-Mascufa near Nokdim and Khirbet Zakaria — between Alon Shvut and Gush Etzion, Ynet reported

The new Israeli government is involved in efforts to strengthen the PA economically.

This follows protests against President Mahmoud Abbas after Palestinian security forces killed prominent critic Nizar Banat while he was in police custody.

Palestinian administrators have pressured Israel for a long time to approve additional housing in Area C, as Israel refused any building permits, Palestinian sources told Ynet.

Israel recently approved increasing the number of Palestinians from the West Bank permitted to work inside Israel, to 16,000.

The UK and US are also attempting to boost the stability of the PA, with the chief of MI6 Richard Moore and CIA head William Burns recently visiting Ramallah.