Israel Approves 22 New Settlements in the West Bank: Strategic Expansion Aimed at Killing Palestinian Statehood
Israeli ministers confirm plans to legalize outposts and establish new settlements across the West Bank and Jordan Valley, drawing sharp condemnation from Palestinian officials, the UK, and Jordan for undermining international law and blocking peace prospects.
Watan-A Palestinian expert on settlement affairs stated that Israel’s goal behind announcing new settlement projects is to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and to strengthen control over Area C, contrary to the claim that the move is based on “security considerations.”
The head of the Palestinian Anti-Wall and Settlement Commission, Minister Muayyad Shaaban, said this move puts Israel in direct confrontation not only with the Palestinian people but with the entire international community.
On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich officially announced that the Israeli Cabinet (Security Council) approved the establishment of 22 new settlements in the West Bank, including three in the Jordan Valley.
Smotrich declared:“This is a great day for the settlement project and an important day for the State of Israel. Settlements are Israel’s defensive wall.”
Katz added:“This historic decision reinforces our security grip.”
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the cabinet secretly approved the plan two days earlier. It includes nine existing outposts that will now be “legalized” and new settlements to be built in isolated areas of the West Bank such as Mount Ebal near Nablus.
Among the settlements mentioned are Homesh and Sa-Nur, which were evacuated under the 2005 disengagement plan by Ariel Sharon. The plan also includes:
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Three settlements in the Jordan Valley
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Two in northern West Bank
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Two in Gush Etzion and Hebron regions
Israel is also advancing the “One Million Settlers” project, allocating 30 million shekels to plan 13 new settlements and five industrial zones in the northern West Bank.
Geographic Tampering and Apartheid Expansion
Muayyad Shaaban emphasized that Israel’s decision places it in opposition to international consensus, which condemns settler colonialism and refuses to recognize Israel’s imposed realities.
Shaaban said this move aims to further fragment Palestinian geography, impose apartheid, and grant settlers full privileges at the expense of indigenous landowners.
The settlement breakdown is as follows:
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4 in Ramallah
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4 in Jenin
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4 in Hebron
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2 in Nablus
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1 in Salfit
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3 in Jericho
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3 in the Jordan Valley
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1 on Jerusalem lands
Some are existing “legalized” outposts with prior zoning approvals; others are military or religious sites, or evacuated settlements now reestablished after the 2023 law amendment to the disengagement plan.
Shaaban condemned Israel’s deceptive narrative—no longer hiding expansion under the guise of “expansion” but instead openly and brazenly grabbing land.
Strategic Goals: Undermining Palestinian Sovereignty
Researcher Amir Dawoud analyzed the announcement, noting that:
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Four of the 22 outposts were previously categorized as settlements
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Some locations, such as Mount Ebal, are considered sacred in Jewish tradition
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Several new settlements will be built from scratch, as was the case with Naha Hilts in Bethlehem
He stressed that Israel has abandoned all “security pretexts”, openly using settlements as a tool to destroy any future Palestinian state, break territorial continuity, and impose irreversible facts on the ground—especially in the Jordan Valley and adjacent highlands.
Some of the targeted areas are currently used by the Israeli military, including two army bases and one observation post. Another site is a settler-run sheep farm.
Global Condemnation: UK and Jordan Respond
UK Minister of State for the Middle East Hamish Falconer called Israel’s move “a deliberate obstacle to the creation of a Palestinian state,” adding on X:“Settlements are illegal under international law and threaten the two-state solution. They do not protect Israel.”
Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strong condemnation, calling the plan a “blatant violation” of Palestinian rights and sovereignty over 1967 borders, including East Jerusalem.
Spokesman Sufyan Qudah stated:“All of Israel’s actions in the West Bank are illegal and invalid. Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory.”
Jordan urged the international community to pressure Israel to stop its assault on Gaza and escalating aggression in the West Bank.
