Israel has approved a plan to build 13 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Palestinian officials who say it will deepen division across the territory, according to Daily Hurriyet News.
The decision, taken by Israel’s security cabinet on July 2, focuses on the central West Bank, particularly the Binyamin regional area. According to Israeli media reports, construction could begin within months, starting with four to six settlements in the first phase. The project is expected to receive millions of shekels in funding.
Palestinian authorities warn that the expansion is not just about building homes, but about reshaping the land itself. The Jerusalem Governorate said the plan is part of a wider strategy to expand settlements and further isolate East Jerusalem from surrounding Palestinian communities.
In a statement, officials said the new construction would alter key مناطق northwest of Jerusalem, west of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, and along routes leading toward the Jordan Valley. These changes, they argue, could break up Palestinian areas into smaller, disconnected sections.
The first phase will also include legal recognition of several existing settlement outposts, bringing them under official support through government funding and infrastructure. Such moves, Palestinians say, turn temporary outposts into permanent fixtures on contested land.
The governorate also suggested that the timing of the plan may be linked to Israel’s domestic politics, with elections on the horizon.
Meanwhile, a recent report by the Palestinian Center for Israeli Studies (Madar) points to a sharp rise in settlement activity. The number of new outposts has grown rapidly in recent years, increasing from an annual average of eight between 2012 and 2022 to 86 in 2025.
For many Palestinians, each new settlement marks not just construction, but a tightening reality—where land, movement, and hope are steadily constrained.
