Israel Approves 34 New Settlements in Occupied West Bank

Israel has reportedly approved the establishment of 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move expected to further escalate regional tensions.

According to Israeli media reports and the watchdog group Peace Now, the decision was quietly passed by the security cabinet in early April.

In a statement, Peace Now said, “The security cabinet has secretly decided to establish 34 new settlements.” This figure is in addition to 68 other settlements approved since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government took office in 2022.

However, this decision has not been formally announced by any government body. The Ministry of Defense, which oversees West Bank settlements, declined to comment when contacted by AFP, with a spokesperson stating only, ‘We are not discussing this matter.’

According to the news channel i24NEWS, 10 of these 34 settlements are previously established informal outposts, which are considered illegal under Israeli law. The new decision aims to formalize their status. The remaining 24 are yet to begin construction.

Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal, a position Israel has long rejected.

According to the news website Ynet, during an April 1 security cabinet meeting, Israeli military official Eyal Zamir warned that the army risked being ‘overwhelmed’ due to increasing manpower demands. The meeting also discussed legalizing dozens of outposts and granting them official settlement status, which would place their security under the responsibility of the Israeli military.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. More than 500,000 Israelis currently live in settlements in the territory, which is home to approximately 3 million Palestinians, excluding East Jerusalem.

While all Israeli governments since 1967 have continued settlement expansion, the process has accelerated under Prime Minister Netanyahu's current coalition government, widely considered one of the most right-wing in Israel's history.

Rights groups have consistently warned that since the Gaza war began in October 2023, there has been an increase in new settlement approvals, land seizures, and settler violence, further complicating regional peace efforts.

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