Since the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023, Israel's Justice Ministry has been rapidly promoting plans for new Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem near Palestinian neighborhoods. The Ministry's "Custodian of Absentee Property" is working with right-wing real estate firms on projects for over 3,000 new housing units, claiming to develop property owned by #Jews before 1948.
Plans are advancing quickly through zoning committees during the war. Critics accuse Israel of exploiting the conflict to deepen control over East Jerusalem and prevent territorial continuity for Palestinians. Settlements like the new "Nofey Rachel" neighborhood plan threaten to further separate Palestinian areas. Justice Ministry officials defend their actions as lawful efforts to develop private Jewish-owned land.