Ramallah:Israeli occupation authorities have approved a plan to establish firing ranges across 31 colonial sites within the West Bank's governorates of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, Jerusalem, Nablus, and Jericho and the Jordan Valley, as revealed by the Commission Against the Wall and Settlements.
According to Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA – English, the approved Plan No. 200/5 targets 29 settlements, colonial outposts, and neighborhoods, along with two industrial zones. This plan facilitates the expansion of weapons-training facilities amid increasing attacks by colonists against Palestinian citizens.
The Commission detailed that the plan includes areas like the "Maccabim" industrial zone and the "Tel Maryam" area in Jerusalem. It covers a wide scope from south of Nablus to Jerusalem and extends toward Jericho and the Jordan Valley. The plan permits the use of land for firing ranges, previously allocated for public buildings, tourism, commerce, and recreation, intended for live-fire training and weapons qualification.
A document from the "Mateh Binyamin" settlement council's economic arm, published in 2024, proposed operating a firing range in the Psagot settlement. This proposal is linked to a rise in firearm license applications post-October 7, 2023, with the council's economic arm financing the construction and access roads.
Since the year's start, 31 Palestinians have been killed by colonists. October witnessed 1,369 attacks by colonists, a significant increase from 647 in September. These attacks, predominantly in Ramallah and al-Bireh, and Nablus, included shootings, assaults, and property destruction. The Commission warned that expanding weapons-training facilities in these areas further endangers Palestinian communities, pressuring them to abandon their lands.
The Commission emphasized the need for protection for Palestinians and accountability for those enabling the attacks. The approval sets a framework for constructing these facilities, although each requires specific permits. The Commission cautioned against arming colonists and providing them with training facilities under occupation forces' protection.