Israel approves new West Bank settlements to block Palestinian state
Smotrich’s office stated that the new approvals bring the total number of settlements sanctioned over the past three years to 69. The latest expansion comes shortly after the United Nations reported that Israeli settlement growth in the West Bank has reached its highest level since at least 2017.
“The proposal by finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and defence minister Israel Katz to declare and formalise 19 new settlements in Judea and Samaria has been approved by the cabinet,” the statement said, without specifying when the decision was made.
Smotrich, a vocal advocate for settlement expansion and a settler himself, said, “On the ground, we are blocking the establishment of a Palestinian terror state. We will continue to develop, build, and settle the land of our ancestral heritage, with faith in the justice of our path.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized the expansion, calling it “relentless” and warning that it fuels tensions, restricts Palestinian access to land, and undermines the possibility of a sovereign Palestinian state. The UN noted that settlement growth has sharply increased compared with previous years, with an average of 12,815 housing units added annually between 2017 and 2022.
Smotrich’s office said the 19 new settlements are in “highly strategic” locations, including Ganim and Kadim in the northern West Bank, which are being re-established after dismantlement two decades ago. Five of the new settlements had already existed but lacked official legal status under Israeli law.
While all settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law, Israel sometimes legalizes previously unauthorized outposts, raising fears of eventual annexation. US President Donald Trump has warned that such a move could cost Israel American support.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. Violence in the territory has surged since the Gaza conflict erupted in October 2023 following a Hamas attack. Palestinian health authorities report that at least 1,027 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers since the start of the war, while Israeli sources report at least 44 Israelis killed in attacks or military operations in the West Bank during the same period.
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