Israel announced on Thursday the initiation of a municipal plan that would retroactively legitimize structures in one of the largest West Bank settlements, and which were built on private Palestinian land.
There are three kinds of land in Ofra, the West Bank's largest settlement: The settlement's original tract of land; land expropriated by the Jordanians; and land expropriated by Israel, which designated exclusively for the construction of public structures.
Over 58% of Ofra's structures are built on private Palestinian land, a fact which has delayed potential construction plans.
However, in an attempt to allow further construction in Ofra, the state told the High Court of Justice on Thursday that it was drafting a jurisdiction plan for Ofra, the legal significance of which would be the retroactive approval of past construction plans, even on private Palestinian land.
