4 days ago
Israel approves West Bank settlement expansion as Gaza death toll mounts
Shafaq News/ Israel has approved the construction of 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, further entrenching its presence and undermining prospects for a future Palestinian state, Israeli media reported Thursday.
The plan reportedly includes both new settlements and the retroactive legalization of unauthorized outposts. Channel 14 said four will be built in the Jordan Valley, extending Israeli control near the Jordanian border, adding that the move also reverses parts of the 2005 Disengagement Law.
Officials called the expansion critical to securing the West Bank. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich praised it as 'a major milestone,' while Defense Minister Israel Katz framed it as retaliation for 'Palestinian terrorism.'
In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes escalated. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported 37 deaths on Thursday, including children and women, after strikes on homes and a daycare in Jabalia.
Since October 7, 2023, more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and over 123,000 injured, with thousands remaining buried under rubble, as large parts of Gaza are in ruins.
The humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate under ongoing border closures and restricted aid. At the UN Security Council, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour appealed for urgent action, stating, 'Dozens of children are dying of starvation. To watch Palestinians suffer while the world stays silent—it's more than any decent human being should have to bear.'
