Israel authorises creation of 22 settlements in occupied West Bank

Israel said Thursday it would establish 22 Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law, including the legalisation of outposts already built without government authorisation.

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the expansion.

"We have made a historic decision for the development of settlements: 22 new communities in Judea and Samaria, renewing settlement in the north of Samaria, and reinforcing the eastern axis of the State of Israel," the minister said on X, using the Israeli term for the West Bank, which it has occupied since 1967.

"Next step: sovereignty!" he added.

In a statement on Telegram, the Likud party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the move a "once-in-a-generation decision", saying the initiative had been led by Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz and approved by the security cabinet.

"The decision also includes the establishment of four communities along the eastern border with Jordan, as part of strengthening Israel's eastern backbone, national security and strategic grip on the area," it said.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said the settlement decision "strengthens our hold on Judea and Samaria," using the biblical term for the West Bank, "anchors our historical right in the Land of Israel, and constitutes a crushing response to Palestinian terrorism."

He added it was also "a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel."

The party published a map showing the 22 sites spread across the territory.

Israeli settlements in the West Bank are condemned by the United Nations as one of the main obstacles to a lasting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Israel has already built well over 100 settlements across the territory that are home to some 500,000 settlers. The settlements range from small hilltop outposts to fully developed communities with apartment blocks, shopping malls, factories and public parks.

The West Bank is home to 3 million Palestinians, who live under Israeli military rule with the Western-backed Palestinian Authority administering population centres. 

Israel has accelerated settlement construction in recent years, long before 7 October, confining Palestinians to smaller and smaller areas of the West Bank and making the prospect of establishing a viable, independent state even more remote.

The announcement comes ahead of an international conference to be led by France and Saudi Arabia at the UN headquarters in New York next month, which aims to revive the idea of a two-state solution.