Ramallah / Tel Aviv — In a move widely condemned by Palestinian officials and international observers, Israel has announced plans to establish 22 new illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank, further deepening the decades-long conflict and imperiling hopes for a two-state solution, reported by Al Jazeera News.
The announcement, made Thursday by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, includes the retroactive legalization of several unauthorized outposts, a strategy long criticized as a step toward de facto annexation. Katz framed the decision as a “strategic move” to bolster Israel’s control over the territory — which he referred to by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria — and prevent the emergence of a Palestinian state.
Smotrich, a hardline settler and vocal proponent of West Bank annexation, lauded the development as a “historic decision.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party called it a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to fortify Israel’s eastern frontier, bordering Jordan.
The move sparked immediate backlash. Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh denounced the expansion as a “dangerous escalation” and a blatant violation of international law, including UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which deems all Israeli settlement activity in occupied territories illegal.
“The decision fuels instability, undermines prospects for peace, and challenges the very legitimacy of international norms,” Abu Rudeineh said.
Rights groups echoed those concerns. The Israeli NGO Peace Now warned the announcement marks a sharp acceleration in Israel’s strategy to reshape the West Bank’s geography. “This is the largest single approval of illegal settlements in one stroke,” the group said.
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri accused the Israeli government of waging “an all-out war” on the Palestinian people and urged international powers, including the U.S. and EU, to intervene.
Al Jazeera correspondent Nida Ibrahim reported from the West Bank that the settlements “strangle Palestinian communities,” making a contiguous Palestinian state virtually unfeasible.
The announcement comes ahead of a UN-backed peace conference, co-led by France and Saudi Arabia, intended to rekindle dialogue on a long-elusive two-state solution.
