JERUSALEM, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli government on Sunday approved a plan to accelerate hotel construction in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism.
The plan, worth 27 million shekels (9 million U.S. dollars), aims to expand accommodation capacity and shift the region from a day-trip destination into one that encourages overnight stays, said the ministry in a statement.
It added that the plan includes planning reforms, infrastructure development, creation of a dedicated hotel land reserve, and a streamlined track to encourage new hotel projects.
To improve project viability for developers, the ministry said, it would remove regulatory barriers and provide state grants.
As part of the plan, the ministry would advance statutory hotel planning and support land allocation and marketing to investors, the statement noted.
According to the ministry, over the past decade, about 115 million shekels have been invested in tourism infrastructure in the West Bank.
Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 war and has established settlements there, a move not recognized by the international community.
More than 700,000 Israeli settlers were living in settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in contravention of international law, and 3.3 million Palestinians were living in the same area, according to a 2025 UN report. ■
