Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz declared on Thursday the approval of 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a territory Israel has occupied since 1967. This major expansion, described by Mr Smotrich as a “historic decision,” involves both the creation of entirely new communities and the retroactive legalisation of several existing outposts previously built without government authorisation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party lauded the move as a “once-in-a-generation decision.”
The ministers stated the new settlement activity aims to reinforce Israel’s presence, with Mr Katz asserting it “prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel” and serves as a “Zionist, security, and national response.” Mr Smotrich added, “Next step: sovereignty!” The plan reportedly includes establishing four communities along the eastern border with Jordan to strengthen Israel’s “eastern backbone,” according to a statement from the Likud party.
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International Condemnation and Palestinian Outcry
The announcement has been met with strong disapproval. The Palestinian presidency labelled it a “dangerous escalation,” with spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh accusing Israel of “continuing to drag the region into a cycle of violence and instability” and “trying by all means to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.”
International bodies and foreign governments have also voiced concern. The United Nations considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law and a major obstacle to peace. Jordan’s foreign ministry condemned the decision as a “flagrant violation of international law” that “undermines prospects for peace by entrenching the occupation.” Similarly, UK Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer described the move as “a deliberate obstacle to Palestinian statehood.”
The Israeli anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now characterised the plan as “the most extensive move of its kind” in over 30 years, warning it would “dramatically reshape the West Bank and entrench the occupation even further.” Lior Amihai, director of Peace Now, stated, “The Israeli government no longer pretends otherwise: the annexation of the occupied territories and expansion of settlements is its central goal.”
B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, accused Israel of continuing “to promote Jewish supremacy through the theft of Palestinian land,” as reported by The Guardian.
The plan details the “historic return” to Homesh and Sa-Nur, two settlements deep in the northern West Bank that were evacuated in 2005. According to Peace Now, 12 existing outposts, including Homesh where settlers had established a religious school, will be legalised. Nine settlements will be completely new, such as Mount Ebal near Nablus and Beit Horon North, west of Ramallah, where construction has reportedly already begun. Another existing area, Nofei Prat, currently considered a “neighbourhood” of another settlement, will now be recognised as independent. Maps being circulated suggest the 22 sites are spread across the length and width of the West Bank.
This development comes as efforts continue to revive a two-state solution, with an international conference led by France and Saudi Arabia planned at the UN headquarters in New York next month. This latest expansion is seen as a significant blow to these efforts. Approximately 700,000 Jewish settlers currently live in about 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem – land belonging to Palestinians – alongside an estimated 3.3 million Palestinians.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s top court, previously issued an advisory opinion stating that “Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful” and that its settlements “have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law,” calling on Israel to “evacuate all settlers.”
Image: RANEEN SAWAFTA | Credit: REUTERS
