Four new settlements are being planned in the Etzion bloc south of Bethlehem to replace the four that were captured and destroyed by Jordan in the 1948 War of Independence, newspapers here reported today. The area remained under Jordan control until Israel seized and occupied the west bank last June.
There was no confirmation of the report from Jewish Agency sources but it was learned that the idea of resettling the area has been actively considered since Israel recovered the area. The land there been longs to the Jewish National Fund although it remained under Jordanian control under the 1948 Israeli-Jordanian armistice until last June. Three of the four settlements had belonged to Hapoel Hamizrachi and one to Hashomer Hatzair.
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