🔗 Share this article

Israel's security cabinet has voted to recognize the formalization of 19 new settlements in the contested Palestinian territories, marking a sustained drive for settlement expansion.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and put forward the measure together with Defence Minister Israel Katz, asserted that the decision was about blocking the formation of a Palestinian state.

Under international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are viewed as unlawful.

The move has sparked condemnation from Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has previously stated that Israel's "persistent" settlement expansion heightens tensions, curtails Palestinians' access to land, and threatens the feasibility of a independent Palestine.

Rising Tensions and Diplomatic Fallout

Clashes in the region has surged since the war in Gaza erupted in October 2023, adding to apprehensions that the growth of communities could solidify Israel's occupation and weaken the prospects for a two-state solution.

The concept of two states involves the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its seat of government, broadly along the borders that existed prior to the 1967 Six-Day Arab-Israeli war.

Since taking office in late 2022, the current Israeli government has ramped up the approval of fresh communities and initiated the process of legalization for informal outposts, classifying them as "suburbs" of existing communities.

A Pattern of Growth

The latest approval brings the total number of communities recognized over the preceding 36 months to 69, according to the Finance Minister.

These decisions come just days after the UN stated that settlement expansion had reached its most intense pace since 2017.

The newest batch of approvals features the re-establishment of a pair of communities — Ganim and Kadim — which were removed about 20 years ago.

In a previous move, the Israeli government gave the nod to twenty-two additional settlements in the occupied West Bank - described as the most significant expansion in decades.

Furthermore, the Israeli government also approved plans last summer to build more than 3,000 residences in the controversial E1 project between the capital and the Maale Adumim community, a plan that had been frozen for many years amid fierce global opposition.

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

Population Facts and Global Reactions

Approximately seven hundred thousand settlers dwell in around 160 communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Israel-based monitoring organization Peace Now. This is territory that Palestinians aspire to have for a future independent state.

This ongoing construction has provoked Arab states who have consistently said it undermines chances for a two-state solution.

It has furthermore fueled anxieties about the possible incorporation of the disputed territories.

Ex- American President Donald Trump had previously cautioned Israel about annexation, telling TIME magazine that the country would lose all its support from the US if it proceeded.

In a diplomatic shift, the United Kingdom - joined by other nations such as Australia and Canada - acknowledged a State of Palestine, a significant although largely symbolic shift in government policy.

Israel was against this recognition, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that a sovereign Palestine "is not going to occur."