Israel approves more than 2,000 new settlement homes in occupied West Bank

JERUSALEM: Israel has approved plans for a further expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announcing that a planning committee had cleared 2,162 new housing units across three settlements.

According to Smotrich, the approved homes include 1,006 units in a new settlement near Jerusalem, 922 near the Palestinian city of Nablus, and 234 near Hebron. He did not say when construction would begin.

Most countries regard Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as illegal under international law and see them as a major impediment to a two-state solution. Palestinians want the West Bank, along with East Jerusalem and Gaza, to form part of a future independent state.

Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist who has authority over parts of Israel’s civilian administration in the West Bank, said the move would deepen Israel’s presence in the territory.

"We are continuing to build the Land of Israel in practice,"

In a statement, he also said the new homes would:

"strengthen our hold on the land, reinforce Israel’s security, and establish clear facts on the ground that prevent the creation of an Arab terror state in the heart of the country,"

Smotrich has been sanctioned by Britain, France and other countries, which accuse him of inciting violence against Palestinians. He has rejected those sanctions, saying they would not alter Israeli policy.

Since taking office three years ago, Smotrich has pushed for tighter Israeli control over the West Bank and has opposed the creation of a Palestinian state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government has also overseen a significant expansion of settlements in the territory, including the establishment of new ones.

Palestinian condemnation

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s office condemned Wednesday’s announcement, describing Israeli policies as provocative and warning that they were driving the region toward further cycles of violence. The office also called on the United States to stop what it described as Israeli madness.

About half a million Israelis live in the West Bank alongside roughly three million Palestinians. The issue remains central to the decades-old conflict and to international diplomacy around any future peace arrangement.

International context

US President Donald Trump’s administration has been markedly less critical of the rapid growth of settlements. However, Trump said in September last year that he would not permit Israel to annex the West Bank, a position that angered some right-wing Israeli lawmakers.

The United Arab Emirates, one of the few Arab countries with formal ties to Israel, has also publicly cautioned the Israeli government against annexation.

Separately, on May 19, Smotrich said he would wage war on the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited civil governance in parts of the West Bank, after saying he had been told that the International Criminal Court prosecutor had sought a confidential arrest warrant against him. The ICC has not confirmed that claim.