Israel to spend USD 11.5 mn on security of West Bank settlements: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday announced that his government will allocate 40 million shekels (USD 11.5 million) to increase the security of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

"Together with the fight against terrorism, we are strengthening the security components in the settlements of Judea and Samaria (Israeli name for the West Bank). This proposal, which will put forward before the ministerial cabinet - 40 million shekels to strengthen the security components. We will combat terrorism. They will not be able to rout us from here. This is our land," Netanyahu said during the government's meeting.

He later wrote on Twitter that the government had allocated the aforementioned sum to strengthen the settlement's security.

Israel's continued construction of settlements in the West Bank is one of the main issues that has hindered any progress in settling the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis.