Palestinian group launches tree-planting programme to prevent seizure in Jerusalem

BIG-IMAGE##Jerusalem: A Palestinian group has launched a project to plant thousands of trees in an innovative bid to "preserve the lands in danger of seizure and confiscation," in Jerusalem.

The programme is in the backdrop of Washington DC's unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the Israeli housing and construction plans announced for the city in the wake of the decision, said the Ramallah-based NGO Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC).

The effort will "strengthen Palestinian steadfastness on the ground and preserve the lands in danger of seizure and confiscation," the Times of Israel, reported the group, as saying, in a statement.

Israel will be building 3,00,000 settlement units in Jerusalem as a part of "Greater Jerusalem" Bill, which aims at annexing settlements built on lands sought by Palestinians.

According to the local media, the Israeli Minister of Housing and Construction, Yoav Galant, on Sunday launched a campaign to promote the construction of 3,00,000 settlement units in East Jerusalem. These homes will be built in areas beyond the Green Line, which refers to the territories occupied by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war.

President Trump reversed decades of US policy on December 6 when he recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, prompting international criticism and sparking protests across the world.

Jerusalem is considered a sacred place, which is home to Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites. However, it is also a disputed territory, contested by both Israel and Palestine, which sees it as a capital of its future state.