Israel Approves $338 Million Expansion of West Bank Settlements

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, a plan costing approximately one billion shekels (about $337.8 million) for the construction of new settlements and the connection of infrastructure to existing ones in the occupied West Bank is expected to be approved by the Israeli cabinet today, Thursday. This development occurs as settlement construction projects, supported by the Netanyahu government, are accelerating. This approach is being pursued by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a prominent proponent of settlements, who has previously stated his aim to bury the idea of a Palestinian state. The agenda for today’s meeting of the Israeli security cabinet focuses on legitimizing and financially backing new settlement activities. According to a draft decision obtained by the media, the allocated budget will be used for constructing access roads, preparing land, establishing sewage and water networks, and building residential complexes. Last week, the Israeli cabinet allocated an additional $51 million to prepare plans for the construction of 69 settlements and settlement outposts. Mufeed Shaban, head of the Palestinian Authority’s Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, warned that Tel Aviv has moved to the ‘intensive implementation’ phase of its settlement project. Shaban explained in a statement that the current Israeli cabinet has approved the establishment of 103 settlement locations since its formation in late 2022. Currently, approximately 700,000 settlers reside in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, amid increasing Palestinian and international warnings that these policies will lead to ‘deepening geographical isolation and undermining Palestinian development opportunities.’ United Nations bodies and most countries worldwide deem these settlements illegal and contrary to international agreements, but Israel rejects these characterizations and insists on its presence in the West Bank.