Smotrich announces approval of 1,516 new settlement units in the West Bank
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Thursday that authorities had approved plans for the construction of 1,516 new housing units in Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank.
In a statement posted on X, Smotrich said the project would pave the way for the establishment of three new settlements. The planned developments are located in areas of the central and northern West Bank, including the Gush Etzion bloc and the Jordan Valley.
Smotrich described the expansion as a strategic measure aimed at strengthening Israel’s security and stability. He also said the plans were intended to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, reflecting the Israeli government’s continued opposition to Palestinian statehood.
The announcement comes amid heightened international scrutiny of Israel’s settlement policy in the West Bank. Israeli settlement construction and expansion in the territory have long been a major point of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Palestinian authorities and many governments considering the settlements an obstacle to a negotiated two-state solution.
According to figures cited in the announcement, Israeli authorities have approved 104 additional settlements and the creation of 160 agricultural outposts since the current government was formed at the end of 2022.
The latest decision is expected to further intensify debate over the future of the occupied West Bank, where settlement expansion remains one of the most contentious issues surrounding the prospects for a political resolution to the conflict.
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