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The nation's security cabinet has given its endorsement to the establishment of nineteen additional outposts in the contested West Bank, signaling a ongoing campaign for settlement expansion.

Hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and advocated for the step together with Defense Chief Israel Katz, asserted that the decision was about blocking the establishment of a sovereign Palestine.

Under international law, Israeli settlements in the disputed territories are deemed in violation of international law.

The announcement has sparked condemnation from Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that Israel's "relentless" settlement expansion fuels tensions, limits Palestinians' access to land, and undermines the viability of a independent Palestine.

Rising Unrest and Political Fallout

Violence in the occupied West Bank has surged since the war in Gaza began in the autumn of 2023, adding to apprehensions that the growth of communities could deepen the Israeli presence and weaken the possibility for a peaceful resolution based on two states.

The concept of two states involves the formation of a State of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, roughly along the lines that existed before the 1967 Six-Day Arab-Israeli war.

Upon assuming leadership in late 2022, the current government in Jerusalem has significantly increased the approval of fresh communities and begun the legalisation process for unauthorised settler outposts, classifying them as "suburbs" of established communities.

Ongoing Expansion

The latest approval takes the cumulative figure of settlements recognized over the preceding 36 months to sixty-nine, according to Smotrich.

These approvals are announced a short time after the United Nations said that settlement expansion had reached its peak since 2017.

The latest group of approvals encompasses the revival of two settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were dismantled about 20 years ago.

Previously, the Israeli government gave the nod to twenty-two additional communities in the territories - described as the most significant expansion in many years.

Additionally, the government sanctioned plans last summer to build over three thousand homes in the so-called E1 area between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim community, a project that had been frozen for decades amid strong global condemnation.

At that time, Smotrich stated it would "end the concept of a Palestinian state."

Population Facts and International Response

Approximately 700,000 settlers dwell in about one hundred and sixty settlements in the occupied territories, according to the Israel-based monitoring organization Peace Now. This is land that the Palestinian people seek for a future independent state.

Settlement expansion has angered Arab states who have consistently said it undermines chances for a peaceful two-state outcome.

It has furthermore raised fears about the eventual formal annexation of the disputed territories.

Former US President Donald Trump had previously admonished the Israeli leadership about annexation, telling a publication that Israel would forfeit its backing from the US if it happened.

Recently, the United Kingdom - joined by other nations such as Australia and Canada - recognised a State of Palestine, a significant although largely symbolic adjustment in foreign policy.

The Israeli government strongly rejected the move, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu saying that a sovereign Palestine "is off the table."