Population growth
The Haaretz newspaper recently published figures about the growth of the settler population, based on the Interior Ministry's population registrar.  According to the figures for the end of June 2006, the settler population in the West Bank grew over the last year (since June 2005) by 5.3%.  In terms of numbers it is a growth of 14,000 people, of which 9,300 (3.5%) are babies born to families living in the settlements (natural growth), while the rest moved from the state of Israel.  Over the last five years the population grew at a similar rate.  It is notable that this year too a large part of the overall population growth in the settlements (41% according to the population registrar) is due to the Haredi population of three settlements: Modi'in Illit, Beitar Illit and Kochav Ya'akov.

Tenders
So far this year’s tenders have been issued for the construction of 952 housing units in settlements, compared to tenders for 235 housing units that were issued by last August.  Despite the considerable increase in the number of housing units, it is still too soon to say the number of units for which tenders were issued this year will be greater than the final number in 2005, which was 1,184 housing units.
For the table of 2005 tenders click here.
For the table of tenders issued so far in 2006 click here.

Construction starts
The monthly statistical report for the month of August published figures on the extent of construction in the first quarter of 2006.  The figures show there has been a drop in the number of construction starts in the territories.  Whereas in the first quarter of 2005 the construction of 572 housing units was started, in the first quarter of 2006 the construction of 413 housing units began. The number of housing units in the territories that were under active construction at the end of March 2005 was 4,144. That number is even higher than the number at the end of March 2006, which was 3,525. In this case too it is too soon to draw conclusions about Israel's construction policy in the settlements for two main reasons:
1. The drop in the numbers is not significant.
2. The numbers are temporary and only indicate what happened in the first months of the year.

Construction by the Housing Ministry in the settlements
The Housing Ministry's website publishes all the projects in which the Ministry is involved in the different localities inside the state of Israel and in the territories.  The site's figures show that the Housing Ministry is currently involved in the construction and marketing of 5,166 housing units in the settlements.  This number is a little lower than the number given on the site in November 2005.
For chart as of August 2006 click here.
For chart as of November 2005 click here.

Expanding the jurisdiction of some settlements
In May 2006 the commander of the central command signed an order expanding the jurisdictions of four settlements: Giv'at Ze'ev, Oranit, Beitar Illit and Maskiot in the northern Jordan Valley.  Even though it was reported shortly thereafter that the defense minister intended to cancel the order expanding the settlements, it is not known to have happened.  It appears to indeed reflect the intention of the government, shared by the Labor Party, to build in settlements that are part of the so-called "settlement blocs." 
The one exception is the settlement of Maskiot in the northern Jordan Valley.  There is no way to understand the expansion of this settlement, which is far from the route of the separation fence, according to the logic of the convergence plan.  It is known that settlers evacuated from the settlement of Shirat Hayam in Gush Katif intend to move there.
As of now, the Maskiot site has not been settled by the Shirat Hayam settlers yet.  The decision to populate the settlement with the group of 11 families from Shirat Hayam is pending on the defense minister's table.

Bypass roads under active construction
Recently, after a long period in which no work was done on them, work on two main roads in the West Bank has resumed:
1. The Tko'a-Jerusalem road (the Lieberman road) in the segment between the villages of Nuaman and Umm Tuba
2. The Ma'ale Adumim-Jericho road (highway number one) in the segment East of Kfar Adumim
In addition to these 2 roads, work is continuing in Almon-Mount Scopus road.

Construction in settlements
Settlements that have large construction sites (many hundreds of housing units)
1. Beitar Illit - photo
2. Ma'ale Adumim - photo
3. Modi'in Illit
4. Alfei Menashe (Giv'at Tal) - photo

Settlements that have medium construction sites (many dozens to a few hundreds of housing units)
1. Giv'at Ze'ev - photo
2. Ariel - photo
3. Efrata - photo
4. Alon - photo 1, photo 2
5. El'azar (dozens of new housing units and mobile homes) - photo
6. Rosh Tzurim - photo

Settlements that have small construction sites (up to a few dozens of housing units, especially private homes)
1. Giv'at Ze'ev South (Har Shmuel)
2. Geva Binyamin (Adam) - photo
3. Har Adar - photo
4. Kedumim - photo
5. Keidar - photo
6. Beit Horon - photo
7. Pedu'el
8. Shavei Shomron (a new mobile home neighborhood with 15 new mobile homes) - photo
9. Kfar Adumim - photo
10. Carmel (10 new homes and 5 mobile homes)
11. Ofra (12 new homes and 13 new mobile homes) - photo
12. Har Gilo - photo
13. Yakir - photo
14. Karnei Shomron - photo
15. Ma'on (2 large structures that serve as chicken coops and 5 mobile homes)
16. Neve Daniel - photo
17. Talmon North (Neriya)
18. Oranit - photo
19. Kochav Ya'akov
20. Revava (8 structures are in initial stages of construction)
21. Beit El - photo
22. Hashmonaim - photo
23. Tko'a - photo
24. Elkana - photo
25. Alfei Menashe (old site) - photo

Settlements where earthworks are being done to prepare for construction (for the full list of sites where earthworks are being done to prepare for construction - click here)
1. Ateret - photo
2. Beitar Illit
3. Ma'ale Adumim - photo
4. Modi'in Illit
5. Kfar Ha'Oranim (Menora)
6. Mevo Horon
7. Eli - photo
8. Beit El - photo
9. Giv'at Ze'ev

Work on special security areas around settlements
1. Ariel
2. Nahaliel - photo
3. Ateret - photo
4. Beit Arye - photo
5. Ofarim
6. Ma'ale Shomron (works began in the last weeks) - photo
7. Karnei Shomron (works began in the last weeks)
8. Telem - photo
9. Adora
10. Har Gilo - photo
11. Enav
12. Avnei Hefetz
13. Chemdat - photo
14. Shavei Shomron - photo
15. Rotem - renewal and expansion of existing route - photo
16. Giv'at Ze'ev (as part of work on surrounding Jerusalem fence)
17. Giv'on (as part of work on surrounding Jerusalem fence)
18. Immanuel

Conclusions
Construction in the settlements continues.  The four biggest construction sites are in large settlements located inside what Israeli governments call "the settlement blocs."  Two of them are in the giant Haredi settlements: Modi'in Illit and Beitar Illit.  This figure is compatible with the demographic figures cited before in this report, according to which 41% of the total growth of the settlement population was in the Haredi settlements.  The two additional settlements of Ma'ale Adumim and Alfei Menashe, where there are giant construction sites, serve as magnets mainly to settlers seeking relatively cheap housing.  Those people continue to find cheaper housing in the settlements than in Israel.  Even the "medium" construction sites, where many dozens and in some cases even hundreds of housing units are being built, are in the settlements considered part of the three blocks: the Ariel bloc, Ma'ale Adumim and Gush Etzion.

The conclusion is simple: the settlement project continues to be motivated mainly by material and political forces.  The Israeli government that could have made housing cheaper inside of the state of Israel's sovereign territory continues to encourage Israelis to move to the settlements.  This fact is also reflected, of course, in the data published by the housing Ministry on its site, and which is brought in full in this report, about the projects in which it is involved.  This fact is also completely compatible with the expansion of the jurisdiction of the three settlements: Oranit, Beitar Illit and Giv'at Ze'ev.

There is also the very accelerated construction of the police station in the E1 area East of Ma'ale Adumim, which is about to be completed (see photo above).   It is notable that for the moment no residential homes are being built in the E1 area, which is supposed to create civilian contiguity between Ma'ale Adumim and East Jerusalem.

It is notable that the construction in the large settlements is accompanied by accelerated development in the industrial areas of Mishor Adumim (East of Ma'ale Adumim), and Barqan (west of Ariel).  For details of construction in the industrial areas of the West Bank click here.

A significant number of the smaller construction sites are in the smaller and relatively isolated settlements populated by a religious population with a deep ideological commitment to the settlement project.  That group's high birthrate is also reflected in the large-scale construction in some of those settlements.  The war in Lebanon, which completely diverted public attention inside Israel and abroad from what was happening in the settlements, allowed a relatively large number of small construction initiatives to get started in those settlements (and in many cases they are probably also unauthorized in terms of Israeli law).  This fact should not really surprise anyone who follows and knows the West Bank settlers' operation patterns.  They have already proven in the past that they are good at identifying and exploiting blind spots in local and international public opinion.

The fortification of some of the small settlements located east of the separation fence is also continuing by the construction of special security areas around them.  A special security area is a system of fences that actually annexes to the settlement's area large areas which are in many cases cultivated, to give the settlers a semblance of security.

The resumption of construction of the two bypass roads (the Lieberman road and the Ma'ale Adumim-Jericho road) indicates an intention to more effectively connect the relatively isolated settlements of the eastern part of Gush Etzion and the Jordan Valley to the Jerusalem metropolitan area.  And speaking of the Jordan Valley, it is notable that the settlers from Shirat Hayam, who are intended to move into the unpopulated settlement of Maskiot in the northern Jordan Valley, have not done so yet.  Their taking possession of the settlement depends on permission from the defense minister who, apparently in preparation for populating the site, allowed Maskiot's jurisdiction to be expanded in May 2006.  In summary: while the Israeli government continues to spend billions of shekels on the construction of the fence which, according to the statements of senior government officials, should comprise Israel's future Eastern border, the state continues to invest huge sums in the infrastructures of settlements located east of the fence.  This fact alone shows to what extent the entire settlement project became a sort of conditioned reflex of an entire country that cannot make substantive decisions about the future of that project.

Update on the Matityahu East petitions
Presently there are two pending Peace Now petitions over Matityahu East: the first (143/06) is against the continued construction in the neighborhood of Matityahu East.  In this petition there is still a pending order nisi prohibiting both construction at the site and populating the existing buildings.  A ruling on that petition is expected soon.

The second petition (3998/06) is about the circular deal in which ownership of the lands of the village of Bil'in, where the neighborhood of Matityahu East was eventually built, was transferred to the Land Redemption Fund.  In this petition the residents of Bil'in and Peace Now demand the purchase deal be canceled and the land returned to the possession of the people of Bil'in.