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Israel’s security cabinet has approved plans for 19 new illegal settlements on Palestinian land seized by Israelis in the occupied West Bank, Israeli media reported.
Israel’s far-right government has accelerated efforts to entrench its control over the occupied West Bank through expanded settlement construction, recognition of outposts previously deemed illegal even under Israeli law, and the designation of Palestinian land as state property. The moves have intensified following Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip that began on Oct. 8, 2023.
According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, the settlement plans were presented by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz during a meeting of the security cabinet.
Under the plan approved by the cabinet, 17 unauthorized settlement outposts established by Israelis on seized Palestinian land across the West Bank will be formally recognized by Israel. The cabinet also approved the reestablishment of the settlements of Ganim and Kadim, which were evacuated in 2005.
During Smotrich’s tenure, the number of outposts legalized by Israel despite being unauthorized under its own laws has risen to 69. Smotrich has repeatedly called for the annexation of the occupied West Bank.
The settlement of Kefar Etzion in the southern West Bank is regarded as the first Jewish settlement established following Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967. Hundreds of illegal settlements were subsequently built across the territory.
According to 2024 data from Israeli civil society group Peace Now, about 3 million Palestinians live in the occupied West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, while over 500,000 Israelis reside in settlements built on seized Palestinian land.
In addition to the 19 newly approved settlements, there are 141 established illegal settlements and 224 unauthorized outposts erected by far-right Israeli groups that remain illegal even under Israeli law.
This brings the total number of illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank to 365.
Israeli authorities have frequently granted retroactive approval to such outposts through administrative and cabinet decisions.
Settlements built by Israel in the occupied territories and the transfer of its civilian population into those areas are considered illegal under international law.
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Meanwhile, Israeli forces assaulted two young Palestinians and detained eight others during overnight raids across the occupied West Bank on Sunday, according to local sources.
Israeli troops raided the Aqabat Jabr refugee camp in Jericho in the eastern West Bank, where two young men were severely beaten during home raids and later hospitalized, sources said.
In the central West Bank, four Palestinians were detained after Israeli forces raided homes in the town of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah.
In the north, Israeli forces arrested two Palestinians in the village of Al-Araqa, south of Jenin, and two others in Bruqin, west of Salfit, following home searches, local sources said.
Since October 2023, Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed at least 1,102 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, wounded nearly 11,000 others, and detained around 21,000, according to Palestinian figures.
In a landmark advisory opinion issued in July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
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