Settlement Surge: Israel Approves Over 3,000 New Homes in West Bank Amid International Criticism

Israel’s Higher Planning Committee of the Civil Administration, tasked with overseeing settlement planning in the West Bank, announced on Wednesday the approval for the construction of 3,426 new homes across three settlements, a move that breaks a months-long hiatus in West Bank construction approvals.

The project involves the expansion of Efrat and Ma’ale Adumim by 694 and 2,402 homes, respectively, along with an addition of 330 homes in the smaller settlement of Kedar. Settlements Minister Orit Strock disclosed these plans through a notice on X, noting that the expansion stages vary, with Ma’ale Adumim and Kedar entering the public comment period, whereas Efrat’s plans have received final approval.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has oversight over the committee, previously called such an expansion the “Zionist response” to a terror attack near Ma’ale Adumim, which resulted in one fatality and multiple injuries. Smotrich wrote on X following the announcement: “The enemies try to harm and weaken us, but we will continue to build and be built up in this land.”

Additionally, this decision has garnered praise from Shlomo Ne’eman, the chairman of the Yesha Council representing West Bank settlements. “Following many months of delaying the meeting, and especially during these difficult times, the continuation of construction in Judea and Samaria is the most appropriate Zionist response,” he said in a statement, using the biblical name of the West Bank.

However, this move has sparked significant international and regional controversy, particularly from the Biden Administration in the US, which has reaffirmed its stance against settlement expansions, considering them inconsistent with international law and a hindrance to Israel’s security and the viability of a two-state solution.