Israeli ministers say 22 new Jewish settlements have been approved in the occupied West Bank - the biggest expansion in decades.

Several already exist as outposts, built without government authorisation, but will now be made legal under Israeli law, according to Defence Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

The issue of settlements - which are widely seen as illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this - is one of the most contentious areas of dispute between Israel and the Palestinians.

Katz said the move "prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel", while the Palestinian presidency called it a "dangerous escalation".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1j5954edlno

Israel has accelerated settlement construction in recent years — long before Hamas’ October 7 attack ignited the war in Gaza — confining Palestinians to smaller and smaller areas of the West Bank and making the prospect of establishing a viable, independent state even more remote.

The top United Nations court ruled last year that Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and called on it to end, and for settlement construction to stop immediately. Israel denounced the non-binding opinion by a 15-judge panel of the International Court of Justice, saying the territories are part of the historic homeland of the Jewish people.

During his first term, President Donald Trump’s administration broke with decades of U.S. foreign policy by supporting Israel’s claims to territory seized by force and taking steps to legitimize the settlements. Former President Joe Biden, like most of his predecessors, opposed the settlements but applied little pressure to Israel to curb their growth.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/may/29/israel-gaza-west-bank-un-warehouse-middle-east-crisis-live-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-6838104a8f08ca2304a68c40#block-6838104a8f08ca2304a68c40

Driven by Defence Minister Israel Katz and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, the decision will look to renew illegal settlement activity in northern Samaria and build new settlements on the Jordan Valley border.

Defence minister Katz, whose critics have accused him of using genocidal language directed at civilians in Gaza, said:

The decision to establish 22 new settlements in the West Bank strengthens our presence in the area and affirms our commitment to ensuring security for the population centres of Israel,” Katz said. “It is a step toward reinforcing our eastern axis and addressing ongoing security challenges.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/may/29/israel-gaza-west-bank-un-warehouse-middle-east-crisis-live-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-683810238f08ca2304a68c3f#block-683810238f08ca2304a68c3f