In a move set to escalate tensions in the region, Israel has confirmed plans to establish 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, including the legalization of previously unauthorized outposts. The decision, approved secretly by the Israeli security cabinet last week, is being widely criticized as a major blow to prospects for a future Palestinian state.
The announcement was spearheaded by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom are known for their hardline positions. Katz declared that the expansion will “strengthen Israel’s hold on Judea and Samaria” (the biblical name for the West Bank), describing the move as a “strategic decision” aimed at preventing the creation of a Palestinian state, which he argued poses a threat to Israeli security.
The planned settlements will increase Israel’s presence along Route 443, a key corridor connecting Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. According to Israel Ganz, head of the Yesha Council—a coalition of West Bank settler leaders—this expansion is “the most important decision since 1967.”
Human Rights Groups Condemn Settlement Expansion
Human rights organization B’Tselem strongly condemned the settlement push, accusing Israel of promoting Jewish supremacy through the ongoing seizure of Palestinian land. A spokesperson stated, “This policy amounts to ethnic cleansing and is destroying any chance for a peaceful and just future between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.”
The spokesperson also criticized the international community’s inaction, saying that global silence effectively enables Israel's actions in the occupied territories.
Accelerated Land Seizures and Settlement Approvals
This latest expansion follows record-breaking land seizures in the West Bank. In July 2024, Israel approved the largest land appropriation since the 1993 Oslo Accords—12.7 square kilometers in the Jordan Valley—according to Peace Now, an Israeli NGO opposing settlements.
Leaked recordings from Smotrich revealed that land confiscations in 2024 were ten times higher than previous years. He described these actions as "mega-strategic," intended to permanently reshape the map of the West Bank.
In early 2025, 10,503 housing units were approved—surpassing all of 2024's total—highlighting the Israeli government's aggressive pace of settlement expansion under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition.
International Backing and U.S. Support
Israel’s settlement policy has received increasing support from members of the Trump administration, including Mike Huckabee, who was nominated as U.S. Ambassador to Israel. In an interview, Huckabee dismissed the term “occupied,” asserting that the West Bank is land “God gave to Israel 3,500 years ago.” He and other officials have been hailed by settlers as a “dream team” poised to help eliminate the possibility of a Palestinian state.
The Israeli military has also quietly transferred legal authority over the West Bank to pro-settler officials in the Defence Ministry, further consolidating control.
Why This Matters:
The approval of new settlements comes amid heightened global scrutiny following the devastating conflict in Gaza and Israel since October 7, 2023. With thousands of lives lost and peace efforts shattered, understanding the root causes and ongoing developments in the Israel-Palestine conflict is more crucial than ever.
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