🔗 Share this article

Israel's defense cabinet has given its endorsement to the formalization of 19 additional outposts in the disputed Palestinian territories, signaling a sustained campaign for community development.

Far-right Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who advocated for the step in concert with Defense Chief Israel Katz, stated that the move was aimed at thwarting the creation of a Palestinian state.

According to global statutes, Jewish communities in the occupied West Bank are deemed unlawful.

The announcement has sparked criticism from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has commented that Israel's "relentless" growth of communities fuels frictions, limits Palestinian use of territory, and undermines the feasibility of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Increased Unrest and Political Repercussions

Unrest in the region has increased sharply since the hostilities in Gaza began in October 2023, further heightening fears that settlement expansion could entrench Israel's occupation and weaken the possibility for a peaceful resolution based on two states.

The two-state solution envisions the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with Jerusalem's eastern sector as its capital, roughly along the lines that existed prior to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Since coming to power in late 2022, the incumbent government in Jerusalem has significantly increased the approval of new settlements and started the legalisation process for previously illegal settler outposts, recognising them as "neighbourhoods" of established settlements.

Sustained Expansion

The most recent decision pushes the overall count of settlements approved over the preceding 36 months to 69, as stated by the Finance Minister.

These decisions come just days after the UN reported that settlement expansion had hit its highest level since the year 2017.

The newest batch of authorizations includes the rebuilding of two communities — Ganim and Kadim — which were dismantled nearly two decades ago.

Earlier this year, Israel approved twenty-two new communities in the occupied West Bank - what was the biggest wave of approvals in decades.

Additionally, the government also approved plans in August to build in excess of 3,000 residences in the controversial E1 project between the capital and the Maale Adumim settlement, a plan that had been frozen for many years amid intense global opposition.

On that occasion, Smotrich stated it would "bury the concept of a Palestinian state."

Population Facts and International Reactions

Roughly 700,000 settlers dwell in around one hundred and sixty communities in the occupied territories, according to the Israel-based monitoring organization Peace Now. This is land that Palestinians envision for a future sovereign nation.

Settlement expansion has angered neighboring countries who have steadfastly argued it undermines chances for a two-state solution.

It has also raised anxieties about the potential formal annexation of the occupied West Bank.

Ex- US President Donald Trump had previously cautioned the Israeli leadership about such a move, telling a publication that the country would lose its backing from the US if it proceeded.

Recently, the United Kingdom - along with other countries such as Australia and Canada - formally recognized a Palestinian state, a notable although largely symbolic adjustment in foreign policy.

The Israeli government was against this step, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu saying that a sovereign Palestine "is off the table."