This had not happened since 2009. Israel announced Tuesday, October 19, the regularization of the status of 4,000 Palestinians residing in the occupied West Bank. In a statement, Cogat, the Israeli body responsible for coordinating the civilian activities of the Israeli army in the occupied Palestinian territories, announced that “1,200 requests, from Palestinian residents living in Judea and Samaria [nom donné par Israël à la Cisjordanie] for many years but which were not registered in the Palestinian population register, have been approved ”.
Evoking a “Humanitarian civil gesture”, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Twitter :
“These are residents who have been in Judea and Samaria for many years but who, for various reasons, were not entitled to papers. This decision is part of my policy to strengthen the economy and improve the lives of Palestinians in Judea and Samaria. “
In addition, Cogat announced that 2,800 Palestinians originating in the Gaza Strip and having reached the West Bank before 2007 could carry out a change of address. Israel has occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967.
Benyamin Netanyahu deplored this decision
At the end of August, Mr. Gantz visited the Palestinian Authority headquarters in Ramallah, West Bank, to discuss security and economics with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas; such an official meeting had not taken place for years.
Since the formation in June of the coalition government that ended the 12-year reign of Benjamin Netanyahu, two other Israeli ministers have visited the Palestinian Authority headquarters: the Minister of Health, Nitzan Horowitz, and the Minister of Regional Cooperation, Issawi Frej.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid recently proposed a plan to ” to improve “ living conditions for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a commitment to ” calm “ from the Islamist movement Hamas, in power in this impoverished enclave under Israeli blockade for nearly fifteen years.
Hussein Al-Sheikh, responsible for civil affairs in the Palestinian Authority, for his part said on Twitter, Tuesday :
“Four thousand names of people, who have obtained their right to citizenship, will receive a Palestinian identity card. “
The leader of the Israeli opposition, Mr. Netanyahu, deplored this decision, claiming on the same social network as “The Bennett, Lapid, Abbas government accepts the partition of Jerusalem and family reunification” Palestinians.