Israel approves 19 new settlements in occupied West Bank
Move intensifies settlement expansion amid international concerns over a two-state solution
Israel's security cabinet approved the recognition of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, the latest step in a government push to expand settlement activity in territory Palestinians seek for a future state.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz led the measure, saying the move would block the establishment of a Palestinian state. The decision comes amid ongoing international dispute over settlements, which are widely regarded as illegal under international law.
Saudi Arabia condemned the move, joining a chorus of concern from regional and international actors. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that relentless settlement expansion fuels tensions, restricts Palestinian access to land, and threatens the viability of a sovereign Palestinian state.
Violence in the West Bank has surged since the Gaza war began in October 2023, heightening fears that settlement expansion could entrench Israeli occupation and undermine a viable two-state solution.
Since taking office in 2022, Israel's current government has accelerated settlement approvals and begun legalising unauthorised outposts as "neighbourhoods" of existing settlements. The latest decision brings the total number of settlements approved over the past three years to 69, according to Smotrich.
The approvals include the re-establishment of two settlements — Ganim and Kadim — that had been dismantled nearly 20 years ago.
In May, Israel approved 22 new settlements in the West Bank, the biggest expansion in decades. In August, plans were approved to build more than 3,000 homes in the so-called E1 corridor between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement, a project that had been frozen for years amid international opposition; Smotrich said the plan would "bury the idea of a Palestinian state."
About 700,000 settlers live in roughly 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now. The expansion is viewed by critics as undermining prospects for a future Palestinian state.
Arab nations have pressed against the expansion, arguing it jeopardizes a two-state solution and raises concerns about the possible annexation of the West Bank.
The move has also drawn attention from Western allies. U.S. officials have warned that unilateral steps like settlement expansion could jeopardize Washington's support, while some European governments have signaled concern over the trajectory of the conflict. In September, the United Kingdom and other partners recognized a Palestinian state—a symbolic shift that Israel opposed, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating that a Palestinian state "will not happen."