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Israel has granted final authorisation for the construction of 764 housing units in three settlements located in the occupied West Bank, according to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a decision that Palestine has condemned as a setback to regional peace initiatives.
The ultra-nationalist Smotrich, who is against the establishment of a Palestinian state, stated on Wednesday that since he took office in late 2022, approximately 51,370 housing units have been sanctioned by the government’s Higher Planning Council in the occupied West Bank, an area that Palestinians aspire to claim as part of their future state.
As reported by the Palestinian state news agency WAFA, Palestine has urged US President Donald Trump’s administration to exert pressure on Israel regarding its settlement policies.
The United States should encourage Israel to “retract their settlement practices, efforts at annexation and expansion, and the appropriation of Palestinian land, and to compel them to adhere to international legitimacy and international law,” stated Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for the Palestinian president.
The new developments will be distributed among Hashmonaim, situated just beyond the Green Line in central Israel, and Givat Zeev and Beitar Illit, located near Jerusalem.
Most global entities consider Israel’s settlements, established on land conquered during the 1967 war, as illegal, and several UN Security Council resolutions have urged Israel to cease all settlement activities.
Construction of Israeli settlements has significantly increased in the occupied West Bank since Benjamin Netanyahu’s current administration assumed power at the end of 2022. Israel argues that settlements are essential for its security, referencing biblical, historical, and political ties to the land.
Reports from local media indicate that a total of 51,370 homes for settlers have been authorised throughout the occupied territory since the current government’s term began.
According to data from the Israeli anti-settlement organisation Peace Now, over 700,000 settlers deemed illegal reside in the West Bank, with approximately 250,000 of them in East Jerusalem.
There has been a noticeable uptick in Israeli settler violence against Palestinians. In October alone, at least 264 incidents were reported against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, marking the highest monthly figure recorded since the UN started monitoring such events in 2006, as noted in a UN report.
