A community in the West Bank.

The Israel Land Authority has decided to finance the planning of tens of thousands of housing units in the West Bank, Globes reported Tuesday.

The website reported that the Israel Land Authority Subcommittee for Planning Authorizations met in late October, at which point it decided to help pay for the planning of tens of thousands of housing units beyond the Green Line, including in the settlements Nokdim, Alei Zahav, Neve Daniel, Alon, and Kedumim.

The proposal dates back to 2000, but never reached even the initial planning stage. The Israel Land Authority is now seeking to resume the process, though Globes notes that it fears the response of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A report last week that the Ministry of Housing had published tenders for the construction of 20,000 housing units in Judea and Samaria was used as an excuse to halt peace talks by the Palestinian Authority and threatened to impact negotiations over a nuclear Iran. Netanyahu ordered Minister of Housing Uri Ariel to stop the tenders.

The Israel Land Authority said, “The Israel Land Authority is not promoting planning in [the West Bank]. Pursuant to the policy set by the Israel Land Authority Council a few years ago, the Authority participates in the financing of planning costs of local authorities on state land in order to encourage local authorities to promote independent planning on state land.”