Arabic version: مجلس الأمن الإسرائيلي يوافق على 13 مستوطنة جديدة في الضفة الغربية

Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved a plan to establish 13 new settlements in the central occupied West Bank. According to Al Jazeera, Palestinian officials have condemned this move, stating it will further fragment the territory and isolate East Jerusalem from surrounding Palestinian communities.

The settlements will be constructed in the Binyamin regional area, one of the largest settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank. This area is strategically located along Route 60, the main north-south artery that connects Palestinian cities like Nablus, Ramallah, and Bethlehem, while also linking major Israeli settlements.

The first phase is expected to begin in the coming months and will include the establishment of four to six new settlements, backed by investments worth millions of shekels. Existing pastoral outposts are also slated for formal legalization, allowing them to receive government funding and infrastructure support.

The Jerusalem governorate has criticized the plan, stating it aims to link settlement blocs and tighten Israeli control over strategic areas, thereby undermining the prospects for a contiguous Palestinian state. They have described the expansion as a dangerous escalation and a violation of international law, urging the international community to intervene.

This approval follows an unprecedented surge in Israeli settlement activity, with new data indicating a significant increase in settlement outposts in recent years. The Israeli government has allocated substantial funding for these outposts, raising concerns about the long-term implications for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the feasibility of a two-state solution.