Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank surged ahead in 2019, the Peace Now watchdog group said in a report Tuesday, maintaining a rapid pace that has drawn strength from the friendly policies of the Trump administration.
Peace Now said that Israel's average annual construction rate has risen 25% since President Donald Trump took office in 2017.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government last year approved plans to build thousands of new homes, laying the groundwork for a sharp spike in construction in the coming years. That included an explosion in plans for new settlement projects approved early this year.