The Israeli municipality in Jerusalem has announced plans to build 400 illegal settlement homes in the occupied town of Abu Dis, to the east of Occupied Jerusalem, The Times of Israel reported on Monday.

The plans include expanding the illegal Kidmat Zion settlement, where ten settler families currently live in three buildings purchased by the Ateret Cohanim settler organization.

The town is home to 15,000 Palestinian, the main campus of Al-Quds University and Palestine Authority government institutions.

In the building proposal submitted to the building committee, Ateret Cohanim cited “Palestinian ambitions” in Abu Dis to underscore the project’s importance.

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“Palestinian institutions in Abu Dis were built with the vision of turning the town into the capital city of Palestine and building a corridor and passage to the center of Jerusalem, thus promoting the takeover of the entire city,” the group said.

“The significance of establishing and developing the neighborhood is to create a shield for Jerusalem against Palestinian ambitions. The neighborhood will disturb the contiguity of the area and protect us from dividing the city,” it added.

Ateret Cohanim is a government-backed Jewish group located in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. It actively works on Judaizing the holy city and expelling Palestinians from their homes.

(MEMO, PC)