Israeli authorities announced plans to build 22 new illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank — a strategic escalation in the ongoing colonization of Palestinian territory. The decision comes amid rising calls for reoccupation of Gaza and renewed expansionism by Israel’s far-right leadership.

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The new settlements, approved by Israel’s Security Cabinet, include the reestablishment of Homesh and Sa-Nur — illegal outposts evacuated in 2005 — both located in the northern West Bank. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who unveiled the map of expansion, called the plan a “strategic strengthening of Israeli presence,” while Defense Minister Israel Katz hailed the move as a “historic decision to tighten our grip” on the occupied territory.

The announcement aligns with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent pledge to assert “full control” over the Gaza Strip, while senior cabinet members including Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir openly advocate for the resettlement of evacuated colonies in Gaza. The construction of new settlements in occupied Palestinian lands is widely regarded as a violation of international law and a key obstacle to peace.

Since the 1967 war, Israel has illegally occupied the West Bank and built more than 280 settlements, housing over 720,000 settlers in heavily militarized enclaves. These settlements routinely result in forced displacement of Palestinians, confiscation of land, destruction of property, and violent settler attacks—actions deemed war crimes under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 reaffirms that all Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories are illegal. The International Court of Justice, alongside numerous human rights organizations, has consistently condemned the Israeli settlement enterprise as part of a broader system of apartheid and ethnic cleansing. Yet, international accountability remains absent. “Despite repeated UN warnings, settlement expansion continues unchecked,” noted Human Rights Watch.

With this new wave of colonization, the human cost for Palestinians deepens. Families are being forced off their land, and the hope of a viable Palestinian state grows increasingly distant. The West Bank remains under military occupation, subject to widespread movement restrictions, mass arrests, and routine violence from both Israeli forces and settlers.

As of May 2025, more than 720,000 Israeli settlers live in occupied Palestinian territories. The expansion of illegal settlements undermines all prospects for a two-state solution and perpetuates a regime of occupation, apartheid, and systematic violation of Palestinian rights. The international community must act to hold Israel accountable and demand an immediate halt to all settlement activity.

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