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Egypt Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Israel approves biggest expansion of West Bank settlements in decades
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, as well as in East Jerusalem and the occupied Golan Heights, are considered illegal under international law. For months, Israel's military has carried out a massive operation in the West Bank, deploying tanks to the territory for the first time in decades and displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians. In February, Katz ordered the military 'to prepare for a prolonged presence' as the military evacuated Palestinian refugee camps. Within the last several weeks, Israeli forces have carried out multiple waves of raids and arrests across the West Bank. He added the new settlements are 'illegal under international law, further imperil the two-state solution, and do not protect Israel.' The decision this week to expand settlements sparked international criticism. The United Kingdom's minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Hamish Falconer, called the move a 'deliberate obstacle to Palestinian statehood.' Jordan's foreign ministry also lambasted the move, saying in a statement that it 'represents a deliberate disregard for ongoing international calls to halt settlement activity and violations in the occupied Palestinian territories.' 'All Israeli actions and decisions in the West Bank are illegal and illegitimate,' the statement added. Earlier this month, France joined the UK and Canada to threaten 'concrete actions,' including targeted sanctions against Israel, if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government did not allow far more aid into Gaza and cease settlement expansion in the West Bank. Peace Now blasted the government for making such a decision in the midst of a war. 'The government is making clear – again and without restraint – that it prefers deepening the occupation and advancing de facto annexation over pursuing peace,' the organization said. 'The Israeli government no longer pretends otherwise: the annexation of the Occupied Territories and expansion of settlements is its central goal.' The Oslo Accords, signed in 1993 between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), were designed to pave the way for the establishment of a Palestinian state and the realization of a two-state solution.
Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Israel announces creation of 22 settlements in West Bank
Israel announced yesterday the creation of 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, putting further strain on relations with the international community already taxed by the war in Gaza. Both Britain and neighbouring Jordan slammed the move, with London calling it a 'deliberate obstacle' to Palestinian statehood. Israeli settlements in the West Bank are regularly condemned by the United Nations as illegal under international law, and are seen as one of the main obstacles to a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The decision to establish more, taken by the country's security cabinet, was announced by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, himself a settler, and Defence Minister Israel Katz, who is in charge of managing the communities. '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,' Smotrich said on X, using the Israeli terms for the southern and northern West Bank, which it has occupied since 1967. 'Next step: sovereignty!' he added. Katz said the initiative 'changes the face of the region and shapes the future of settlement for years to come'. Not all the 22 settlements are new, however. Some are existing outposts, while others are neighbourhoods of settlements that will become independent communities, according to the left-wing Israeli NGO Peace Now.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Israel approves 22 new West Bank settlements, drawing global backlash
JERUSALEM: Israel announced Thursday the creation of 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, drawing sharp condemnation from Britain, Jordan and others already at odds with the country over its Gaza war. London called the move a "deliberate obstacle" to Palestinian statehood, while UN chief Antonio Guterres' spokesman said it pushed efforts towards a two-state solution "in the wrong direction." Israeli settlements in the West Bank are regularly condemned by the United Nations as illegal under international law and are seen as a major obstacle to lasting peace. The decision, taken by Israel's security cabinet, was announced by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, himself a settler, and Defence Minister Israel Katz, who oversees the communities. "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," Smotrich said on X, using the Israeli terms for the southern and northern West Bank, which it has occupied since 1967. "Next step: sovereignty!" he added. Katz said the initiative "changes the face of the region and shapes the future of settlement for years to come." Not all of the 22 settlements are new. Some are existing outposts, while others are neighbourhoods of settlements that will become independent communities, according to the left-wing Israeli NGO Peace Now. Hamas accused Israel of "accelerating steps to Judaize Palestinian land within a clear annexation project." "This is a blatant defiance of the international will and a grave violation of international law and United Nations resolutions," Gaza's rulers said. Britain's minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, said the plan imperils "the two-state solution" and does not protect Israel. Jordan called the decision illegal and said it "undermines prospects for peace by entrenching the occupation." "We stand against any and all" expansion of the settlements, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, repeating calls for Israel to halt such activity, which he said blocks peace and economic development. On Telegram, the right-wing Likud party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the move a "once-in-a-generation decision" and said it "includes the establishment of four communities along the eastern border with Jordan, as part of strengthening Israel's eastern backbone." A map posted by the party showed the 22 sites scattered across the territory. Two of the settlements, Homesh and Sa-Nur, are particularly symbolic. Located in the north of the West Bank, they are resettlements, having been evacuated in 2005 as part of Israel's disengagement from Gaza, promoted by then prime minister Ariel Sharon. Netanyahu's government, formed in December 2022 with the support of far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties, is the most right-wing in Israel's history. Human rights groups and anti-settlement NGOs say a slide towards at least de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank has gathered pace, particularly since the start of the Gaza war triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel. "The Israeli government no longer pretends otherwise: the annexation of the occupied territories and expansion of settlements is its central goal," Peace Now said in a statement. In his announcement, Smotrich offered a pre-emptive defence of the move, saying: "We have not taken a foreign land, but the heritage of our ancestors." Some European governments have moved to sanction individual settlers, as did the United States under former president Joe Biden – though those measures were lifted under Donald Trump. The announcement comes ahead of an international conference led by France and Saudi Arabia at the United Nations next month aimed at reviving the two-state solution.--AFP
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Israel's Major Expansion of Settlements in West Bank
Israeli Army personnel on duty in Hebron, West Bank, guarding Israeli settlers on May 24, 2025. Credit - Mosab Shawer - Getty Images Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced that "22 new settlements" will be established in the West Bank. Some already exist as outputs, but will be made legal under Israeli law, whilst others will be entirely new settlements. The politician called it a 'historic decision,' adding: 'We have succeeded in creating a profound strategic change, returning the State of Israel to a path of construction, Zionism, and vision. Settlement in the land of our ancestors is the protective wall of the State of Israel.' Defense Minister Israel Katz said that the move 'anchors our historical right in the Land of Israel, and constitutes a crushing response to Palestinian terrorism,' adding that it is 'a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel.' It is believed that two of the settlements will be Homesh and Sa-Nur, villages in the West Bank that were evacuated in 2005 as part of Israel's disengagement plan from Gaza, in which all Israeli settlers withdrew from the Strip. Thursday's announcement has gained criticism from international lawmakers. British politician Hamish Falconer, the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, said that 'the U.K. condemns these actions.' In a post on X, Falconer said that the approval of these settlements "is a deliberate obstacle to Palestinian statehood" and that "settlements are illegal under international law, further imperil the two state solution, and do not protect Israel." The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, originally posted in Arabic, on X: 'This is a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and a clear violation of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent, sovereign state.' Israeli activist group Peace Now has also heavily condemned the expansion. In a statement published on May 29, the organization said: "The Israeli government no longer pretends otherwise, the annexation of the occupied territories and expansion of settlements is its central goal.' Peace Now maintains that this is the biggest expansion of settlements in the West Bank since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993. These accords were seen as hope of a potential route towards peace and a two-state solution, which has since diminished. According to Peace Now, nine of the settlements will be completely new, one is an already established community, and 12 are outposts and farms that will now be recognized as official settlements. Read More: Hamas Leader Mohammed Sinwar Killed In Airstrike, Netanyahu Says Israeli settlements in the West Bank are widely considered to be in violation of international law. The West Bank is defined by the United Nations as under Israeli military occupation, after it took control of the territory, as well as Gaza and East Jerusalem, in 1967 after the Six-Day War. According to Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, 'the occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.' However, Israel considers itself to be the administrative power, not an occupier. It administers the territory as Israel's 'Judea and Samaria Area.' Therefore, any Israeli settlements in the West Bank are not deemed illegal under Israeli law. Read More: France and Italy Summon Israeli Ambassadors After Israel Fired 'Warning Shots' at Diplomatic Delegation As of December 2024, there were 529,455 Jewish settlers living in the West Bank, spread across 141 settlements. The West Bank is also home to roughly three million Palestinians who live in pockets administered by the Palestinian Authority. Under Israeli rule, Palestinian residents must pass through the Israeli checkpoints they have access to, in order to move throughout the West Bank. Israeli settler movement to the West Bank and the expansion of communities has accelerated since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023. A U.N. Human Rights Office report found that between November 2023 and October 2024, construction plans were put in place for over 10,300 new housing units within existing Israeli settlements. The report stated: 'Dozens of unauthorised roads have been paved by settlers and the army around settlements and outposts, helping to connect them while blocking Palestinians' movement and enabling further seizure of their land.' This rise in the settler population in the West Bank has been coupled with an increase in violence towards Palestinians. Between Jan. 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025, at least 616 Palestinians, including 115 children, had been killed by settlers or the Israeli military according to the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA). In the same period, OCHA recorded 1,936 incidents of violence towards Palestinians, with 41,272 being displaced in the West Bank. These trends have been on the rise since 2020. Contact us at letters@
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Israel authorizes more settlements in occupied West Bank, sparking criticism as obstacle to Palestinian statehood
Israeli settlements, and the expanding divide of settlers and Palestinians Israeli settlements, and the expanding divide of settlers and Palestinians Israeli settlements, and the expanding divide of settlers and Palestinians Israel said Thursday it would establish 22 Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, including the legalization of outposts already built without government authorization. Neighboring Jordan and Britain slammed the move, with a top U.K. official calling it a "deliberate obstacle" to Palestinian statehood. Israel captured the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war and the Palestinians want all three territories for their future state. The majority of the international community views settlements as illegal and an obstacle to resolving the decades-old conflict. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the settlement decision "strengthens our hold on Judea and Samaria," using the biblical term for the West Bank. He said it "anchors our historical right in the Land of Israel, and constitutes a crushing response to Palestinian terrorism." He added that the construction of settlements was also "a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel." The Israeli anti-settlement watchdog group Peace Now said the announcement was the most extensive move of its kind since the 1993 Oslo accords that launched the now-defunct peace process. It said the settlements, which are deep inside the territory, would "dramatically reshape the West Bank and entrench the occupation even further." 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 parks. Houses in the Israeli settlement of Psagot in the occupied West Bank, located on Tawil hill adjacent to the Palestinian cities of Ramallah and al-Bireh, are seen on May 29, 2025. Zain Jaafar/AFP via Getty Images The West Bank is home to 3 million Palestinians, who live under Israeli military rule with the Palestinian Authority administering population centers. The settlers have Israeli citizenship. Peace Now said the plans call for the authorization of 12 existing outposts, the development of nine new settlements and reclassifying a neighborhood of an existing settlement as a separate one. "The government is making clear — again and without restraint — that it prefers deepening the occupation and advancing de facto annexation over pursuing peace," the group said. Israel has accelerated settlement construction in recent years — long before Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, which ignited the war in Gaza. The settlements have confined Palestinians to smaller and smaller areas of the West Bank and made the prospect of establishing a viable, independent state even more remote. A spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the move a "dangerous escalation" and accused Israel of moving the region into a "cycle of violence and instability." "This extremist Israeli government is trying by all means to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state," the spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, told the Reuters news agency. In a statement, Hamas — the group that the U.S. and Israel have designated as terrorists that controls Gaza — accused Israel of "an acceleration of efforts to Judaize Palestinian land as part of an explicit annexation project." "It constitutes a brazen challenge to international will and a grave violation of international law and United Nations resolutions," said the Palestinian militant group. Western ally Jordan also condemned the move as illegal, and said it "undermines prospects for peace by entrenching the occupation." The Jordanian foreign ministry warned that "such unilateral actions further erode the viability of a two-state solution by impeding the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state." Britain's minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, slammed the decision as a "deliberate obstacle to Palestinian statehood," saying settlements "imperil the two state solution, and do not protect Israel." Palestinians stand as they are blocked by Israeli soldiers from entering the Tulkarm refugee camp to remove their belongings, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, May 26, 2025. Reuters/Raneen Sawafta During his first term, President Trump's administration broke with decades of U.S. foreign policy by supporting Israel's claims to territory seized by force and taking steps to legitimize the settlements. Former President Joe Biden, like most of his predecessors, opposed the settlements but applied little pressure to Israel to curb their growth. The top United Nations court ruled last year that Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and called on it to end, and for settlement construction to stop immediately. Israel denounced the non-binding opinion by a 15-judge panel of the International Court of Justice, saying the territories are part of the historic homeland of the Jewish people. Israel withdrew its settlements from the Gaza Strip in 2005, but leading figures in the current government have called for them to be re-established and for much of the Palestinian population of the territory to be resettled elsewhere through what they describe as voluntary emigration. Palestinians view such plans as a blueprint for their forcible expulsion from their homeland, and experts say the plans would likely violate international law. Israel now controls more than 70% of Gaza, according to Yaakov Garb, a professor of environmental studies at Ben Gurion University, who has examined Israeli-Palestinian land use patterns for decades. The area includes buffer zones along the border with Israel as well as the southern city of Rafah, which is now mostly uninhabited, and other large areas that Israel has ordered to be evacuated. The war began with Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, in which terrorists stormed into Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Hamas still holds 58 hostages, around a third of them believed to be still alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements. Israeli forces have rescued eight and recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties. contributed to this report.
