JERUSALEM / RAMALLAH – Israel’s government has announced a sweeping and unprecedented expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, approving the establishment of 22 new communities and the legalization of numerous unauthorized outposts. The move, confirmed by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday, marks the largest such expansion in decades and has immediately ignited a storm of international condemnation, further imperiling prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The decision will see 12 existing, previously illegal outposts formalized under Israeli law, alongside the construction of nine entirely new settlements and the reclassification of a neighborhood of an existing settlement into a separate entity. According to the Israeli anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now, this is the most extensive move of its kind since the 1993 Oslo Accords, which initiated the now-defunct peace process.
Defense Minister Israel Katz, in a statement, framed the decision as a strategic imperative. “This decision strengthens our hold on Judea and Samaria,” he said, using the biblical term for the West Bank. He added that it “anchors our historical right in the Land of Israel, and constitutes a crushing response to Palestinian terrorism,” further asserting that the construction was “a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a vocal ultranationalist and settler who holds significant authority over planning in the West Bank, hailed the decision as “historic,” aligning it with his long-held ambition for Israeli sovereignty over the territory.
However, Palestinian officials and international bodies have vehemently condemned the announcement. Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh called the decision a “dangerous escalation” and accused Israel of “dragging the region into a cycle of violence and instability.” He emphasized that the move violates international law and United Nations resolutions, particularly UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which deems Israeli settlements in the occupied territories illegal.
Neighboring Jordan and Britain were quick to voice their outrage. Jordan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the expansion as a “flagrant violation of international law” that “undermines prospects for peace by entrenching the occupation.” UK Minister for the Middle East Hamish Falconer stated unequivocally that the approval of 22 new settlements “is a deliberate obstacle to Palestinian statehood” and that settlements “are illegal under international law, further imperil the two-state solution, and do not protect Israel.”
The West Bank, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, is home to approximately 3 million Palestinians and around 700,000 Israeli settlers living in over 160 settlements. The international community, with very few exceptions, views these settlements as illegal under international law and a major impediment to a viable, independent Palestinian state.
Peace Now warned that the new settlements, many of which are deep inside the territory, would “dramatically reshape the West Bank and entrench the occupation even further.” The group stated, “The government is making clear — again and without restraint — that it prefers deepening the occupation and advancing de facto annexation over pursuing peace.”
The announcement comes at a highly sensitive time, as the conflict in Gaza continues and international efforts, including a planned French-Saudi summit at the UN, aim to revive momentum for a two-state solution. Critics argue that such expansions make the physical contiguity and economic viability of a future Palestinian state increasingly impossible, effectively undermining the very foundation of internationally backed peace efforts.
As the international outcry intensifies, the Israeli government’s latest move signals a clear intent to solidify its presence and control over the West Bank, setting the stage for further diplomatic friction and deepening the already entrenched complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.