Israel's security cabinet has approved the recognition of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank as the government continues its settlement expansion push.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who proposed the move alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz, said the decision was about blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law.
Saudi Arabia condemned the move. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said Israel's relentless settlement expansion fuels tensions, restricts Palestinian access to land, and threatens the viability of a sovereign Palestinian state.
Violence in the occupied West Bank has surged since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, further heightening fears that settlement expansion could entrench Israel's occupation and undermine a two-state solution.
The current Israeli government has significantly increased the approval of new settlements and begun the legalisation process for unauthorised outposts, recognizing them as neighbourhoods of existing settlements.
The most recent decision brings the total number of settlements approved over the past three years to 69, according to Smotrich. The approvals come just days after the UN reported settlement expansion had reached its highest level since 2017.
The latest approvals also include the re-establishment of two settlements — Ganim and Kadim — dismantled nearly 20 years ago.
About 700,000 settlers live in approximately 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now, encompassing land Palestinians seek for a future independent state.
Settlement expansion has not only angered Arab nations, undermining prospects for a two-state solution, but has also raised concerns regarding the potential annexation of the occupied West Bank.
