In brief
Israel's security cabinet has officially approved 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, pushing forward the government's settlement expansion agenda. This decision, supported by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, aims to block a Palestinian state and has been met with significant backlash from the international community, including condemnation from Saudi Arabia and the UN Secretary-General. The expansion comes in light of escalating violence in the region since the onset of the conflict in Gaza.
Israel's security cabinet has approved the recognition of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank as the government continues its settlement expansion push. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who proposed the move alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz, said the decision was about blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state.Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law. Saudi Arabia condemned the move. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said Israel's 'relentless' settlement expansion fuels tensions, restricts Palestinian access to land, and threatens the viability of a sovereign Palestinian state.Violence in the occupied West Bank has surged since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, further heightening fears that settlement expansion could entrench Israel's occupation and undermine a two-state solution. The two-state solution refers to the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, broadly along the lines that existed prior to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.Since taking office in 2022, the current Israeli government has significantly increased the approval of new settlements and begun the legalisation process for unauthorised outposts, recognising them as 'neighbourhoods' of existing settlements. The most recent decision brings the total number of settlements approved over the past three years to 69, according to Smotrich. The approvals come just days after the United Nations said settlement expansion had reached its highest level since 2017.The latest approvals include the re-establishment of two settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were dismantled nearly 20 years ago. Earlier in May, Israel approved 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank - the biggest expansion in decades. Smotrich indicated that plans for new settlements would 'bury the idea of a Palestinian state.'Approximately 700,000 settlers live in approximately 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which is land Palestinians seek for a future independent state. Settlement expansion has incited anger among Arab nations, which argue that it undermines prospects for a two-state solution, leading to concerns about the potential annexation of the occupied West Bank.
