Israel Approves 22 New Settlements in Occupied West Bank

West Bank, MINA – The Israeli occupation has approved the construction of 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Defense Ministry confirmed Thursday, marking what rights groups call the largest expansion since the Oslo Accords, Wafa reported.

The decision followed a secret security cabinet vote reportedly initiated by far-right Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. In a statement cited by the Times of Israel, the Defense Ministry said the move aims to “strengthen the Israeli hold on the territory,” prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, and lay the groundwork for future settlement expansion.

The approved plan includes the legalization of unauthorized outposts and the re-establishment of two settlements evacuated in 2005 during Israel’s Gaza disengagement. Smotrich called the move “a big day for settlement,” while Katz hailed it as a “historic decision.”

Settlement watchdog Peace Now criticized the approval, noting that 12 of the settlements are pre-existing outposts to be legalized, one will be recognized independently, and nine are entirely new. “This is the most extensive move of its kind since the Oslo Accords,” the group stated, adding that the settlements are located deep in areas intended for a future Palestinian state.

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Peace Now emphasized that the government is signaling its intention to deepen the occupation rather than pursue peace. The organization also cited Israel’s 2024 approval of the largest land seizure in the West Bank in over three decades, totaling 12,700 dunams in the Jordan Valley.

International condemnation swiftly followed. UK Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, called the settlement decision a “deliberate obstacle to Palestinian statehood.” He reaffirmed that settlements are illegal under international law and undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

The International Court of Justice ruled in July 2023 that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Palestinian reports cited by Anadolu Agency noted 341 settler attacks against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank last month alone, highlighting escalating violence tied to settlement expansion. []

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)