
Israeli settlers near the outpost of Evyatar in the West Bank, May 2023. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)
Breaking: The Israeli government approved the construction of over 4,500 new settlement units in the occupied West bank on Sunday, October 29, 2023, amidst ongoing conflict in gaza. This decision, announced by the Higher Planning Council of Judea and Samaria, represents a significant escalation in settlement activity and draws condemnation from international observers.
The expansion builds upon a major announcement in May, when Israel approved 22 new Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the largest such expansion in decades. This included the retroactive legalization of several previously unauthorized outposts, settlements built without official government approval. These outposts, often established by individuals and groups with ideological motivations, have long been a point of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The settlements are located throughout the West Bank,including areas near major Palestinian cities like Hebron,Nablus,and Ramallah.Key areas experiencing increased construction include the Etzion Bloc, south of Bethlehem, and the Shomron region, north of Nablus. The Higher Planning Council’s recent approvals encompass a range of settlement types, from established towns to newly planned outposts.
Rabbi Arik Ascherman, a human rights activist and former head of Rabbis for Human Rights, has been a long-time critic of Israeli settlement policy. He argues that the international community’s lack of concrete action emboldens settlers and undermines the prospects for a two-state solution.
“They [the settlers] know that no one is going to do anything to them,” Ascherman stated. “We are far, far from the kind of pressure on Israel that would actually get them to start removing the outposts.”
the expansion of settlements is widely considered a violation of international law, as outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016). The resolution states that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, constitute a flagrant violation under international law and are an obstacle to achieving a extensive, just, and lasting peace.
According to Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog, there are currently over 700,000 israeli settlers living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.The settlements are often built on land confiscated from Palestinians,and their expansion frequently restricts Palestinian access to resources and movement.
“The outposts … destroy any possibility of a two-state solution, as they are popping up everywhere,” Ascherman added. The continued expansion of settlements raises serious concerns about the future viability of a Palestinian state and the potential for further escalation of the israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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