Israeli army says West Bank settlement expansion putting its forces under strain

The Israeli military has warned Israel's political leadership that it will struggle to protect new illegal settlements and settler outposts in the occupied West Bank amid rapid settlement expansion and rising settler violence.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Monday that military officials had raised concerns over the proliferation of new settlements and outposts in the northern West Bank, many of which lack basic infrastructure needed to protect them.

The military reportedly described the establishment of some of the new sites as a "reckless" move driven by political considerations rather than security needs.

Roads leading to some of the settlements pass through Palestinian villages and areas with poor mobile phone coverage, potentially making it difficult for settlers to call for assistance in an emergency.

Many also lack adequate surveillance systems and have limited access routes, forcing the military to develop additional security infrastructure and commit more troops to protecting increasingly dispersed settlements.

Israeli forces often protect or assist settlers in ways that facilitate attacks on Palestinians, including forcible displacement, land seizures or other abuses.

The number of Israeli battalions serving under Central Command, which oversees the occupied West Bank, is expected to rise to 26 this week - the highest level since the start of the war.

At least 103 settlement outposts and agricultural farms have been approved under the current Israeli government in areas under Central Command and the Jordan Valley, according to Haaretz, with around 80 located deep inside the West Bank.

An Israeli military official said in July that unauthorised outposts had become one of the army's "biggest challenges", with the spread of settlements increasing the burden on forces attempting to maintain control across the territory.

The warning comes amid an unprecedented expansion of Israeli settlements under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government.

Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now said in July that the government had approved 104 new settlements since taking office in late 2022.

Of those, 38 are entirely new settlements, 50 are unauthorised outposts being retroactively recognised as settlements, while 16 were previously designated as neighbourhoods of existing settlements and have now been granted independent status.

Peace Now separately recorded 248 new settler outposts established under the current government by the beginning of August, including 65 during 2026 alone.

All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law.

Pressure over settler violence

The military warning follows Netanyahu's reported decision on Sunday to order the dismantling of unauthorised settlement outposts amid pressure from Washington over escalating attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Netanyahu had ordered the removals in response to US pressure.

Israeli media reported that around 100 outposts could be affected, although it remains unclear when the operation will begin.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a leading advocate of settlement expansion, confirmed that Netanyahu had issued instructions to remove sites established in Areas A and B of the West Bank.

Smotrich said he opposed the decision while highlighting the government's extensive expansion of settlements in Area C, which remains under full Israeli military and administrative control.

The move came after US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described violent settlers as "terrorists" and called for severe consequences following a visit to the Palestinian town of Turmus Ayya.

Separately on Sunday, Israel's High Court of Justice ordered Israeli authorities to allow three Palestinian families driven from their homes by settlers in the village of Jalud to return within 14 days and to provide security for them.

The families were expelled in July after extremist settlers established an unauthorised outpost near their homes and subjected the residents to attacks and intimidation.

The court sharply criticised the Israeli military, police and Defence Minister Israel Katz for failing to prevent the attacks and subsequent expulsion, as well as for failing to adequately pursue those responsible.

It ordered the military and police to ensure the families could safely return and bring equipment and materials needed to repair damage to their homes and utilities.

The judges described settler violence as "completely unacceptable" and demanded detailed answers from Israeli security authorities about what action had been taken to identify and prosecute those responsible.

The developments come amid a sharp escalation in settler attacks and the displacement of Palestinian communities across the West Bank.

Human Rights Watch said last month that settler violence had fully or partially displaced 107 Palestinian communities, comprising around 5,900 people, since January 2023.

All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are considered illegal under international law, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring parts of its civilian population into occupied territory. Israel disputes this interpretation.