Israel has announced plans to establish 22 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, which includes the legalisation of unapproved outposts. This comes at a time when Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip reportedly killed at least 13 individuals overnight, as confirmed by local health authorities.
The West Bank, along with Gaza and East Jerusalem, was captured by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War, and Palestinians aspire to claim these areas for their own future state. The international community largely deems these settlements illegal and a significant hurdle to resolving the ongoing conflict.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz asserted that the new settlements would strengthen Israel’s claim to the region, which he referred to using the biblical names of Judea and Samaria. He further suggested that the expansion of settlements serves as a strategic measure to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, which he described as a potential threat to Israel.
The anti-settlement watchdog group, Peace Now, has labelled this development as the most extensive settlement expansion since the 1993 Oslo Accords, claiming it will further entrench Israel’s occupation and reshape the West Bank. Israel currently houses over 100 settlements, with around 500,000 settlers residing in the territory, while close to 3 million Palestinians live under Israeli military governance.
The plans detail the authorisation of 12 existing outposts, the establishment of nine new settlements, and the reclassifying of part of an existing settlement as a separate one. Peace Now condemned the move, asserting that it demonstrates the government’s preference for deepening occupation rather than pursuing peace negotiations.
Settlement construction has escalated in recent years, curtailing the space available to Palestinians and threatening the feasibility of a sovereign state. The former US administration under Donald Trump actively supported Israel’s territorial claims, moving away from historical foreign policy, whereas President Joe Biden, despite opposing settlements, has not exerted significant pressure on Israel to limit such expansion.
In a non-binding opinion last year, the International Court of Justice condemned Israel’s presence in the Palestinian territories as unlawful. Israel, however, rejected this ruling, maintaining that these areas are integral to the Jewish historic homeland.
Though Israel withdrew its settlements from Gaza in 2005, some government officials now advocate for their re-establishment and the resettlement of Palestinian inhabitants. Such proposals are viewed by Palestinians as a means of forced expulsion, raising concerns over potential violations of international law.
The ongoing conflict was reignited following Hamas’s attack on October 7, resulting in significant casualties, including over 54,000 Palestinian deaths, predominantly among women and children, since Israel’s retaliatory operations began. The recent Israeli strikes claimed more lives, including four individuals in Gaza City and eight in Jabaliya. The Israeli military, which faces criticism over civilian casualties, attributes these losses to Hamas’s operational presence within populated areas.