Israel Greenlights 19 New Settlements in Controversial West Bank Expansion

Mon Dec 22 2025 11:32:57 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The Israeli government has officially approved the establishment of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move that raises tensions and complicates peace efforts amid widespread international criticism.

Israel's security cabinet has sanctioned the recognition of 19 new settlements in the West Bank, driven by far-right officials aiming to prevent the formation of a Palestinian state. This decision, which has garnered condemnation from multiple countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UN, exacerbates tensions in a region already fraught with violence. Opponents argue that such expansions undermine the viability of a peaceful two-state solution. Over the last three years, Israel has significantly increased settlement approvals, further entrenching its presence in occupied territories, as global calls for restraint grow louder.

Israel's security cabinet has approved the recognition of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank as the government continues its settlement expansion push.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who proposed the move alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz, stated that the decision was about blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law.

Saudi Arabia condemned the move, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned that Israel's relentless settlement expansion fuels tensions, restricts Palestinian land access, and threatens the viability of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Violence in the occupied West Bank has surged since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, further heightening fears that settlement expansion could solidify Israel's occupation and undermine a two-state solution.

The two-state solution refers to the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, broadly along the lines that existed prior to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Since taking office in 2022, the current Israeli government has significantly increased the approval of new settlements and initiated the legalization of unauthorized outposts, recognizing them as neighborhoods of existing settlements.

Smotrich has confirmed that the recent decision brings the total number of settlements approved over the past three years to 69.

Notably, these approvals include the reinstatement of two settlements—Ganim and Kadim—that were dismantled nearly 20 years ago. This recent expansion comes on the heels of the United Nations declaring settlement development at its highest level since 2017.

In May, Israel approved 22 new settlements, marking the largest expansion in decades, and in August, the government endorsed plans to build over 3,000 homes in the controversial E1 project, which had been stalled for decades amid international backlash.

Approximately 700,000 settlers currently reside in about 160 settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, land that Palestinians seek for a future independent state.

Settlement expansion has incited significant anger among Arab nations, who argue it undermines the prospects for a two-state solution and raises concerns over possible annexation of the occupied West Bank.

US President Donald Trump had previously cautioned Israel against making such moves, asserting that the country would lose US support. In September, the UK, along with allied nations such as Australia and Canada, recognized a Palestinian state, a significant albeit symbolic change in policy that Israel opposed.