Israeli authorities on Monday approved a solid waste landfill project on over 500 kilometers of land in occupied East Jerusalem.

Israeli settlement researcher Ahmad Sublaban told Ma’an that the district planning and construction committee approved that plan, number 13900, to build a landfill on over 546 kilometers of land between the villages of al-Issawiya and Anata and over 13 of which will be used for a road network leading to the landfill.

Sublaban said there were several objections by Palestinians as well as residents of the French Hill settlement, which were declined by the committee.

The landfill will be built in a valley in Wadi Qasim and Wadi Kabina, on the lands of al-Issawiya and Anata where solid waste will be buried under construction remains, before a public park is built over it, the plan says.

The landfill will be built close to the E1 planned settlement compound which is planned to hold 4,000 settlement houses, and aims to unite East Jerusalem and Maale Adumim settlement.

Monitoring committee member in al-Issawiya village Mohammad Abu al-Homos said the committee will appeal to decision.

He told Ma’an that the project does not serve Palestinians, but serves settlements in Jerusalem, adding that it is the start of the implementation of the E1 project.

Abu al-Homos added that 30 Bedouin families have been living in that area for over 50 years, and their wishes were disregarded by the Israeli occupation.

(Ma’an – www.maannews.net)