Jerusalem Governorate Warns of the Implementation of the Colonial 'Route 45' to Cement the Annexation of Settlements in North Jerusalem and East Ramallah

SadaNews - The Jerusalem Governorate has warned about the Israeli occupation authorities commencing the implementation of the colonial "Route 45" project, following the announcement of its actual initiation in the coming weeks, with a budget estimated at around 400 million shekels. This step aims to cement the annexation of the settlements in northern Jerusalem and eastern Ramallah, connecting them to the city of Jerusalem.

According to a statement issued by the governorate today, Friday, the colonial project aims to connect the settlements established east of Ramallah and north of Jerusalem directly to the colonial Route (443), which leads to Jerusalem and the 1948 territories.

It stated that according to the plan, the works will start from in front of the "Mukhmas" settlement located on the lands of Mukhmas village in the northeast of occupied Jerusalem, reaching the Qalandiya checkpoint tunnel to ensure a reduction in transportation time for the settlers and secure their direct connection to cities within the 1948 territories.

It added that these works come alongside extensive expansions of the bypass roads extending from the Hizma military checkpoint to the 'Ayun al-Haramiah area east of Ramallah, aiming to create a "connected and transboundary road network" that serves the settlements and enhances overall colonial control, transforming northern Jerusalem and eastern Ramallah into isolated enclaves amid a geographical area controlled by the settlers, in what is known as the policy of "demographic and geographical judaization."

It clarified that "Route 45" represents an extension of an old plan dating back to 1983 under "Military Order No. 50 for Roads," aimed at severing the ties of Palestinian communities and isolating them behind bypass roads. Through this path, the occupation seeks to integrate the infrastructure of the settlements with its central network, in a practical attempt to erase the Green Line and impose "effective sovereignty" over the land, turning the settlements into suburbs linked to the "state's" center via highways.

The governorate continued that over the years, the occupation authorities have treated the legal objections submitted by landowners in the villages of: Jab’a, Qalandiya, Kafr Aqab, Al-Ram, Mukhmas, and Burqa as mere formal procedures.

It pointed out that while legal routes were in place, the occupation authorities continued to issue tenders and begin field work, especially in the Qalandiya tunnel, reflecting their intention to impose material realities ahead of any court ruling, disregarding the rights of Palestinians as "protected residents" under international law.

The Jerusalem Governorate believes that this project falls within a comprehensive colonial vision aimed at attracting hundreds of thousands of new settlers by securing transportation, facilitating their settlement in the heart of the West Bank while maintaining quick access to the city of Jerusalem. This plan not only aims to seize the land but also entrenches a complete apartheid system, as it creates an advanced road network for the settlers at the expense of fragmenting the Palestinian geography and stifling the future development of the original landowners.