Israel’s security cabinet has approved the recognition of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, marking a substantial expansion of Israeli construction in the occupied territory. This decision, announced by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, brings the total number of new settlements approved in recent years to 69, further entrenching Israel’s presence and undermining prospects for a two-state solution.
The approval was made by Israel’s security cabinet, with Smotrich, a settler himself, proposing the move alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz. He stated that the decision aims to block the establishment of a Palestinian state, reflecting the government’s hardline stance on settlement expansion. The cabinet’s action includes retroactively legalizing some previously established outposts and creating new settlements on land where Palestinians had been evacuated.
Under international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal, and this latest move has drawn condemnation from various quarters. Saudi Arabia condemned the decision, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized Israel’s “relentless” settlement expansion, warning that it fuels tensions, restricts Palestinian access to land, and threatens the viability of a sovereign Palestinian state.
Historically, settlement expansion has been a contentious issue, but the current government, in power since 2022, has significantly accelerated approvals. This decision comes just days after the United Nations reported that settlement expansion had reached its highest level since 2017. Notably, two of the newly approved settlements, Kadim and Ganim, were dismantled nearly 20 years ago during Israel’s 2005 disengagement from Gaza, and their re-establishment symbolizes a reversal of past policies.
The surge in settlements is occurring against a backdrop of increased violence in the West Bank since the war in Gaza began in October 2023. Settler attacks against Palestinians have spiked, with the UN recording an average of eight attacks per day during October’s olive harvest, the highest since data collection began in 2006. Israeli authorities have largely condemned the violence but taken limited action, exacerbating tensions.
This expansion poses a direct challenge to international efforts aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The US-brokered Gaza ceasefire plan, which took effect in October 2025, includes a possible “pathway” to a Palestinian state, but the settlements are designed to prevent that outcome. Smotrich has previously said that such plans would “bury the idea of a Palestinian state,” highlighting the ideological divide.
The practical implications are significant, with about 700,000 settlers now living in approximately 210 settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to anti-settlement group Peace Now. This land is sought by Palestinians for a future independent state, and the continuous expansion raises fears of de facto annexation, which could have severe diplomatic consequences, including potential loss of US support as warned by former President Donald Trump.
Looking ahead, the approval sets the stage for increased international friction and domestic consolidation of Israeli control. With the UK and other countries recently recognizing a Palestinian state in a symbolic shift, and ongoing violence in the region, the path to peace appears increasingly obstructed. The Israeli government’s commitment to settlement growth suggests that further expansions are likely, continuing to shape the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.
