🔗 Share this article Israel Authorizes Nineteen New Communities in Disputed West Bank Hardline Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, a West Bank settler himself, championed the decision. Israel's security cabinet has given its endorsement to the formalization of nineteen fresh outposts in the disputed West Bank, representing a ongoing drive for community development. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and advocated for the step in concert with Defence Minister Israel Katz, declared that the move was aimed at blocking the formation of a sovereign Palestine. It is important to note that Jewish communities in the occupied West Bank are considered in violation of international law. The decision has drawn condemnation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that Israel's "persistent" settlement expansion exacerbates tensions, restricts Palestinians' use of territory, and undermines the feasibility of a independent Palestine. Rising Tensions and Diplomatic Repercussions Clashes in the occupied West Bank has escalated since the conflict in Gaza began in the autumn of 2023, adding to concerns that settlement expansion could solidify the Israeli presence and damage the possibility for a two-state solution. The concept of two states involves the creation of a Palestinian state in the Palestinian territories, with East Jerusalem as its seat of government, largely along the boundaries that were in place prior to the 1967 Middle East war. Since taking office in late 2022, the incumbent Israeli government has greatly accelerated the authorization of new settlements and started the legalisation process for informal settler outposts, designating them as "suburbs" of established settlements. Ongoing Expansion The most recent approval takes the overall count of settlements authorized over the last three years to 69, as stated by the Finance Minister. These authorizations are announced just days after the UN stated that settlement expansion had reached its most intense pace since 2017. The newest round of approvals features the rebuilding of a pair of settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were dismantled almost 20 years ago. In a previous move, the Israeli government authorized twenty-two additional communities in the occupied West Bank - what was the most significant wave of approvals in many years. Additionally, the Israeli government sanctioned blueprints last summer to erect in excess of three thousand housing units in the controversial E1 project between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement, a plan that had been on hold for decades amid intense foreign opposition. Regarding that plan, the Finance Minister remarked it would "bury the notion of a Palestinian state." Population Facts and Global Reactions An estimated seven hundred thousand Israeli settlers reside in around 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Israeli monitoring organization Peace Now. This is land that Palestinians seek for a future sovereign nation. Settlement expansion has drawn ire from neighboring countries who have steadfastly said it erodes hopes 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 once admonished the Israeli leadership about such a move, stating to TIME magazine that the country would lose all its support from the United States if it occurred. Recently, the United Kingdom - joined by other countries including Australia and Canada - recognised a State of Palestine, a notable although largely symbolic adjustment in official stance. The Israeli government was against this recognition, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu saying that a sovereign Palestine "is not going to occur."