Israel has approved its largest expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank in over three decades, intensifying concerns about de facto annexation.
The decision authorizes 22 new settlements, including areas deep within the West Bank and regions previously vacated by Israeli forces. The move marks a sharp escalation amid the ongoing war in Gaza and continued military operations in the West Bank.
“This is a strategic vision to strengthen Israeli control,” said Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a joint statement. “The goal is to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state and secure development reserves for future settlement.”
Peace Now, an Israeli NGO that tracks settlements, called the move the most extensive since the 1993 Oslo Accords. The group accused the government of prioritizing occupation over peace.
“The government is making clear — again and without restraint — that it prefers deepening the occupation and advancing de facto annexation,” Peace Now said. “The Israeli government no longer pretends otherwise.”
The Oslo Accords aimed to create a path toward a two-state solution. They included a framework for Palestinian self-governance and limited Israeli settlement activity. This latest development signals a major break from those commitments.
Of the 22 planned settlements:
Outposts are typically built without government approval. Settlers create them to establish a presence, hoping to later win official recognition.
Two of the new settlements are located in areas evacuated during Israel’s 2005 disengagement. That law had barred civilians from returning to those areas. The current right-wing government overturned the ban.
Finance Minister Smotrich welcomed the reversal. “The next step – sovereignty!” he said. “We did not take a foreign land, but the inheritance of our ancestors.”
Under international law, Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights are illegal. The United Nations and European Union have repeatedly condemned expansion efforts.
Experts warn that settlement growth threatens prospects for peace. “This step makes a two-state solution increasingly difficult to achieve,” said Michael Lynk, former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied territories.
Since October 7, Israeli military operations in the West Bank have intensified. The military has deployed tanks in the territory for the first time in years and carried out sweeping raids.
In February, Katz instructed troops to prepare for “a prolonged presence.” The military has since evacuated refugee camps and arrested hundreds of Palestinians. Tens of thousands have been displaced.
A recent CNN investigation showed a surge in unauthorized outposts since October. Palestinian communities say these outposts are a prelude to full annexation.
Earlier this month, the security cabinet approved a land registration initiative for Area C. This area is under full Israeli control and comprises about 60% of the West Bank.
Peace Now labeled the plan “a mega theft of Palestinian lands.” The organization says it will enable Israel to formalize land claims and limit future Palestinian development.
Human rights groups fear that combining new settlements, military operations, and land registration amounts to annexation in practice.
In recent days, attacks by settlers on Palestinian civilians and property have also surged. On Monday, settlers vandalized the car of Hamdan Ballal in his West Bank village. Similar incidents have been reported across the region.
“The pressure is relentless,” said a resident in Nablus. “They want to make life impossible so we leave.”
Meanwhile, Oscar-winning Palestinian director Wael Dabbous vowed not to leave his home, even after a settler assault. “This is my land,” he said. “I have no other.”
The Israeli government has not commented on recent settler violence.
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