Israel Approves 19 Additional Communities in Occupied West Bank
The nation's top security body has formally approved the recognition of 19 new outposts in the occupied Palestinian territories, marking a sustained campaign for settlement expansion.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who proposed the move in concert with Defense Chief Israel Katz, asserted that the decision was aimed at preventing the formation of a Palestinian state.
Under international law, Jewish communities in the disputed territories are deemed in violation of international law.
The decision has elicited criticism from Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has commented that Israel's "relentless" growth of communities fuels frictions, curtails Palestinians' access to territory, and threatens the prospects of a sovereign Palestinian state.
Increased Tensions and Diplomatic Fallout
Clashes in the occupied West Bank has increased sharply since the war in Gaza began in the autumn of 2023, intensifying fears that the growth of communities could entrench Israel's occupation and damage the chance for a two-state solution.
The concept of two states involves the formation of a State of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, largely along the lines that existed prior to the 1967 Six-Day Arab-Israeli war.
Upon assuming leadership in 2022, the current government in Jerusalem has greatly accelerated the authorization of new settlements and initiated the legalisation process for informal settler outposts, designating them as "neighbourhoods" of existing settlements.
A Pattern of Expansion
The most recent approval pushes the total number of settlements authorized over the past three years to 69, as stated by the Finance Minister.
These authorizations arrive a short time after the UN stated that settlement expansion had reached its most intense pace since 2017.
The most recent batch of authorizations includes the re-establishment of a pair of settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were dismantled nearly 20 years ago.
In a previous move, Israel approved twenty-two additional settlements in the occupied West Bank - described as the biggest wave of approvals in many years.
In a related development, the government also approved plans in August to build in excess of 3,000 homes in the controversial E1 area between the capital and the Maale Adumim community, a project that had been stalled for many years amid fierce global objection.
At that time, Smotrich said it would "bury the idea of a Palestinian state."
Population Realities and Global Reactions
Approximately seven hundred thousand Israeli settlers live in approximately 160 communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as per data from the Israeli monitoring organization Peace Now. This is territory that Palestinians seek for a future sovereign nation.
Settlement expansion has provoked Arab nations who have consistently argued it undermines hopes for a two-state solution.
It has also raised fears about the possible annexing of the occupied West Bank.
Ex- American President Donald Trump had previously admonished Israel about annexation, telling a publication that the country would lose all its support from the United States if it happened.
In a policy change, the United Kingdom - joined by other nations including Australia and Canada - acknowledged a Palestinian state, a notable although largely symbolic change in government policy.
Israel strongly rejected the move, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu asserting that a sovereign Palestine "will not happen."
