
Israel has authorized the creation of 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a decision that includes legalizing unauthorized outposts and is widely regarded as illegal under international law.
The move, announced on Thursday, marks one of the largest settlement expansions in decades, intensifying the ongoing conflict over land rights in the region.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a key proponent of the plan, celebrated the decision on X, stating:
We have made a historic decision for the development of settlements: 22 new communities in Judea and Samaria, renewing settlement in the north of Samaria, and reinforcing the eastern axis of the State of Israel. Next step: sovereignty!
Bezalel Smotrich.
The Likud party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, described the decision as a "once-in-a-generation decision," emphasizing its strategic importance.
"The decision also includes the establishment of four communities along the eastern border with Jordan, as part of strengthening Israel's eastern backbone, national security and strategic grip on the area," the party stated on Telegram.
Defence Minister Israel Katz framed the expansion as a deliberate effort to cement Israeli control over the West Bank, referred to by Israeli officials as Judea and Samaria.
Katz said that the settlement decision "strengthens our hold on Judea and Samaria," and that it "anchors our historical right in the Land of Israel, and constitutes a crushing response to Palestinian terrorism," adding that it "was also a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel."
The Palestinian presidency condemned the announcement as a "dangerous escalation," while the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now warned that the new settlements would "dramatically reshape the West Bank and entrench the occupation even further."
The United Nations and much of the international community view Israeli settlements in the West Bank, home to 3 million Palestinians under Israeli military rule, as a major obstacle to peace.
With over 160 existing settlements housing approximately 500,000 to 700,000 settlers, the expansion further confines Palestinians to shrinking territories, dimming prospects for a viable independent state
The announcement comes ahead of a UN conference next month, led by France and Saudi Arabia, aimed at reviving the two-state solution.