A study hall in Hebron’s Jewish neighborhood of Beit Romano. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – The Jewish community in Hebron was granted building permits to construct new homes for the first time since 2002.

The Civil Administration’s Licensing Subcommittee — the Israeli government body responsible for approving new construction in Judea and Samaria — issued the permits for 31 homes on Monday under several conditions, including a stipulation that the permits can be appealed.

Hebron’s Jewish community is expected to appeal the Civil Administration’s conditions in the coming weeks, based upon the premise that the community is the landowner in the area.

The land where the construction has been approved, known as “Hizkiya Quarter,” is situated in Beit Romano, one of four Jewish neighborhoods in Hebron’s H2 section.

The approval of the Hebron construction permits comes a week after a senior political official in Jerusalem told Israel Hayom that some 12,000 new Israeli settlement homes will be approved at various stages of the planning and construction process by the end of 2017. According to the official, the units approved for discussion are located throughout Judea and Samaria, including in Hebron and Beit El.