Israel Approves 19 New West Bank Settlements Despite US Pressure

 

Israel’s Cabinet has approved the creation of 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move that deepens international concern and further undermines prospects for a future Palestinian state.

 

The decision was confirmed on Sunday by far-right Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, a leading advocate of the settler movement. Two of the approved settlements are located in areas that were evacuated during Israel’s 2005 disengagement plan, marking a symbolic reversal of previous policy.

 

Smotrich said the latest decision brings the total number of new settlements approved over the past two years to 69. According to the anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now, the move increases the number of recognised settlements in the West Bank by nearly 50% during the current government’s tenure — from 141 in 2022 to 210 following the latest approval.

 

Israeli settlements in the West Bank are widely considered illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes. More than 500,000 Jewish settlers currently live in the territory, alongside around 200,000 in contested east Jerusalem.

 

The Cabinet decision comes as the United States presses Israel and Hamas to advance a new phase of the Gaza ceasefire that took effect on October 10. The US-backed framework includes a potential “pathway” toward a Palestinian state — a goal critics say is directly obstructed by settlement expansion.

 

Peace Now said the approval also includes retroactive legalisation of previously unauthorised settlement outposts and the establishment of new settlements on land from which Palestinians had been evacuated.

 

Israel’s government is dominated by far-right figures supportive of settlement growth, including Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the police.

 

The expansion coincides with a surge in settler violence against Palestinians. The United Nations says settlers carried out an average of eight attacks a day during October’s olive harvest — the highest level since records began in 2006 — with dozens more attacks reported in November.

 

Key Takeaways

• Israel approved 19 new settlements, bringing the two-year total to 69.

• The move sharply increases West Bank settlements despite US-backed peace efforts.

• Settler violence against Palestinians has surged to record levels.

 

SOURCE: NBC NEWS

 

 

 

 

 

 

This will embolden violence from settlers.

Shameless thieves! Forget about love thy neighbour. Kill my neighbour...and their children.

Haven't we been told that Netanyahu was afraid of Trump (same as Putin)! 🙂