Arabic version: وزير المالية الإسرائيلي يروج لخطط توسيع المستوطنات الكبرى
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has declared that Israel has launched a “revolution in settlement” expansion, which he says will see illegal outposts extended beyond the occupied West Bank into the Negev and Galilee. This statement follows the Israeli cabinet’s recent approval for the establishment of 13 new settlements in strategically critical areas of the West Bank. According to Al Jazeera, these settlements are deemed illegal under international law and are expected to further entrench Israeli control over Palestinian territories.
The expansion focuses on key corridors along Route 60, which connects major Palestinian cities such as Nablus, Ramallah, and Bethlehem, and extends towards the Jordan Valley. Palestinian officials have expressed concerns that this move will isolate occupied East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank, undermining the viability of a future Palestinian state and the prospects for a two-state solution.
Settlement expansion has accelerated since 2022, following the formation of the most far-right government in Israel’s history under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Reports indicate that state funding for settlements has surged, with the number of new outposts increasing dramatically from an average of eight per year between 2012 and 2022 to a record number of 86 new outposts across the West Bank in 2025. An estimated 500,000 Israeli settlers currently live in the occupied West Bank, with an additional 250,000 in occupied East Jerusalem, all considered illegal by international law.
The expansion of settlements has coincided with an increase in violence against Palestinians. A recent United Nations inquiry revealed a 130 percent rise in Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian villages and agricultural land since 2023. Incidents include the destruction of electricity lines and vandalism of local businesses, leading to significant distress within affected communities.
In May alone, the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC) documented 1,659 attacks by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank, with settlers directly responsible for 551 of those incidents. Additionally, the Israeli state has intensified the demolition of Palestinian homes, with 70 operations resulting in the destruction of 155 structures in that month. Since October 8, 2023, ongoing violence has led to the deaths of 1,175 Palestinians and the displacement of around 33,000 individuals from their homes.
