Israel Approves 22 New West Bank Settlements
Israel’s government has approved the creation of 22 new Jewish settlements in the West Bank, marking the largest such expansion in decades. The decision, made last week during a closed-door cabinet session, was spearheaded by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom advocate for deepening Israeli control over the territory captured from Jordan in the 1967 war. The Defense Ministry and the Finance Ministry announced the plan on Thursday in a joint statement.
The plan involves legalizing several unauthorized outposts and reestablishing settlements in some parts of the northern West Bank that were previously dismantled under the 2005 disengagement law. The move is part of a broader effort to cement Israeli presence along strategic corridors.
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“This decision … strengthens our presence in the area and affirms our commitment to ensuring security for the population centers of Israel,” Katz said. Smotrich, who lives in the West Bank and has long opposed Palestinian statehood, added: “It anchors our historical right in the Land of Israel and constitutes a crushing response to Palestinian terrorism.”
The Palestinian presidency condemned the move as a “dangerous escalation,” while the Israeli watchdog Peace Now warned that it would “dramatically reshape the West Bank and entrench the occupation even further.”
The announcement follows last year’s approval of the largest land appropriation in the West Bank in decades, as well as new military directives that shifted legal authority in the West Bank to pro-settler officials working under Smotrich.
