Israel has announced plans to legalize 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, marking what officials are calling the most significant expansion in decades. The move, unveiled by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, will see several unauthorized outposts retroactively recognized under Israeli law.
While some of these outposts have existed for years without formal approval, their official recognition now cements a shift that many view as a turning point. The decision has sparked immediate condemnation from Palestinian authorities and international observers, reigniting longstanding tensions over land, sovereignty, and the future of peace negotiations.
Defence Minister Gallant defended the move as a strategic necessity, stating that it prevents the creation of a Palestinian state, which he claims poses a security threat to Israel. Palestinian officials, however, have labeled it a “dangerous escalation,” warning that such actions further erode the prospects for a two-state solution.
Critics of the expansion, including the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now, warn that the plan could dramatically alter the landscape of the West Bank. “This will entrench the occupation even further,” the group said, calling the decision a blow to efforts aimed at resolving the decades-old conflict.
Israel has constructed around 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since seizing the territories during the 1967 Middle East war. These areas are home to over 700,000 Israeli settlers. The international community widely considers the settlements illegal, though Israel disputes this interpretation of international law.
Palestinians see the land as central to a future independent state. But with each new settlement announcement, the dream of statehood appears increasingly distant.
