🔗 Share this article

Israel's top security body has given its endorsement to the establishment of 19 new settlements in the contested West Bank, signaling a ongoing campaign for territorial growth.

Far-right Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and put forward the step alongside Defense Chief Israel Katz, stated that the approval was intended for thwarting the establishment of a sovereign Palestine.

It is important to note that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are deemed in violation of international law.

The announcement has elicited condemnation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has said that Israel's "unceasing" settlement expansion fuels frictions, limits Palestinian access to land, and undermines the prospects of a independent Palestinian state.

Escalating Tensions and Diplomatic Fallout

Clashes in the occupied West Bank has escalated since the war in the Gaza Strip erupted in the autumn of 2023, further heightening concerns that the growth of communities could solidify the Israeli presence and damage the possibility for a two-state solution.

The concept of two states involves the creation of a State of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, broadly along the boundaries that existed prior to the 1967 Middle East war.

Since coming to power in 2022, the incumbent Israeli government has ramped up the green-lighting of new settlements and started the process of legalization for previously illegal outposts, recognising them as "suburbs" of existing settlements.

Ongoing Growth

The latest decision brings the total number of communities approved over the past three years to 69, according to the Finance Minister.

These approvals come just days after the UN stated that construction in settlements had hit its highest level since the year 2017.

The most recent group of approvals includes the revival of a pair of communities — Ganim and Kadim — which were dismantled about two decades ago.

In a previous move, Israel gave the nod to 22 new settlements in the territories - described as the largest wave of approvals in many years.

Furthermore, the Israeli government gave the go-ahead for projects last summer to erect more than 3,000 homes in the controversial E1 corridor between the capital and the Maale Adumim settlement, a project that had been on hold for many years amid strong foreign objection.

At that time, the Finance Minister said it would "end the concept of a Palestinian state."

Population Facts and International Reactions

Roughly seven hundred thousand Israeli settlers reside in around 160 communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Israel-based anti-settlement group Peace Now. This is territory that the Palestinian people seek for a prospective sovereign nation.

Settlement expansion has provoked neighboring countries who have consistently said it harms hopes for a two-state solution.

It has also sparked concerns about the eventual formal annexation of the disputed territories.

Ex- US President Donald Trump had once warned Israel about annexation, stating to a publication that Israel would lose all its support from the US if it happened.

In a diplomatic shift, the UK - along with other countries such as Australia and Canada - formally recognized a Palestinian state, a notable although primarily ceremonial shift in government policy.

Israel was against the move, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that a sovereign Palestine "is not going to occur."