The government has signed an agreement to build 18,000 new housing units in Ariel, allocating over NIS 3 billion with the full government's approval, The Zioneer reports. The city is projected to grow from 22,000 residents to 80,000. The deal, advanced at Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's initiative, comes after the approval of the new city of Shira along Route 5 near Ariel, according to the report.
The government has signed a major agreement to build 18,000 new housing units in Ariel, with more than NIS 3 billion allocated and the approval of the entire government, according to The Zioneer. The flash report, published Friday morning, says the city of 22,000 residents is projected to grow to 80,000. The initiative is credited to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and the report notes it follows the approval of the planned city of Shira along Route 5, on the approach to Ariel.
The broader picture, as previously reported by The Zioneer: on July 14, The Zioneer reported on a declassified cabinet decision approving 34 new settlements in Judea and Samaria with a NIS 2.3 billion budget, and on a separate NIS 8.5 billion agreement between the government and the Samaria Regional Council for 12,000 housing units. On September 6, The Zioneer reported that the new city of Shira along Route 5 had received its official community designation, clearing the way for construction.
The flash did not specify construction timelines or a breakdown of the NIS 3 billion allocation, and it cited no formal government announcement beyond its own text. The figures therefore rest on the single report as published.
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