Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Swipe for next article

Download our
Social Partner

International condemnation as Israel approves 19 new settlements in West Bank

IDF destroys West Bank homes of people it claims were involved in Israel attacks

Israel's cabinet has approved 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a decision that has drawn condemnation from international governments and human rights organisations.
The move, championed by far-right Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, will increase the number of settlements to 210, representing a nearly 50% rise during the current government's tenure.
UK Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer stated that the announcement risks undermining the US-brokered peace plan for ending the Gaza war and the prospects for a two-state solution.
The approvals include the retroactive legalisation of some previously established outposts and the creation of settlements on land where Palestinians were evacuated, with two sites having been dismantled in 2005.
This expansion, widely considered illegal under international law, comes amidst US efforts for a Gaza ceasefire and a significant increase in settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.