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The nation's security cabinet has given its endorsement to the formalization of 19 new settlements in the contested West Bank, signaling a continued campaign for settlement expansion.

Hardline Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and put forward the step alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz, declared that the move was aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Under international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered unlawful.

The decision has sparked criticism from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has previously stated that Israel's "relentless" growth of communities heightens tensions, limits Palestinian access to land, and undermines the prospects of a independent Palestinian state.

Rising Tensions and Political Repercussions

Unrest in the occupied West Bank has increased sharply since the war in the Gaza Strip erupted in the autumn of 2023, intensifying fears that settlement expansion could solidify the Israeli presence and undermine the prospects for a two-state solution.

The concept of two states involves the creation of a State of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with Jerusalem's eastern sector as its seat of government, roughly along the lines that existed prior to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Since taking office in late 2022, the current government in Jerusalem has significantly increased the green-lighting of fresh communities and started the formal recognition for previously illegal settler outposts, designating them as "suburbs" of established settlements.

Sustained Growth

The most recent approval brings the overall count of settlements approved over the past three years to 69, as stated by Smotrich.

These decisions come only a few days after the United Nations stated that construction in settlements had hit its peak since the year 2017.

The latest batch of approvals features the revival of two communities — Ganim and Kadim — which were evacuated nearly two decades ago.

Previously, the Israeli government authorized twenty-two additional communities in the occupied West Bank - described as the largest wave of approvals in decades.

Additionally, the government also approved blueprints in August to build over three thousand residences in the controversial E1 corridor between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim community, a project that had been on hold for many years amid intense global objection.

At that time, Smotrich remarked it would "end the concept of a Palestinian state."

Demographic Realities and Global Response

Roughly seven hundred thousand settlers dwell in approximately one hundred and sixty settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as per data from the Israeli monitoring organization Peace Now. This is territory that Palestinians aspire to have for a prospective sovereign nation.

This ongoing construction has provoked Arab nations who have steadfastly said it undermines chances for a peaceful two-state outcome.

It has furthermore sparked concerns about the possible formal annexation of the occupied West Bank.

Ex- American President Donald Trump had previously warned Israel about such a move, stating to a publication that Israel would forfeit all its support from the US if it occurred.

In a policy change, the United Kingdom - along with other nations including Australia and Canada - formally recognized a State of Palestine, a major although primarily ceremonial adjustment in official stance.

Israel strongly rejected this recognition, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu saying that a Palestinian state "is not going to occur."