🔗 Share this article The Israeli government Authorizes 19 Fresh Outposts in Disputed Palestinian Territories Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who resides in a settlement, championed the initiative. Israel's security cabinet has given its endorsement to the establishment of 19 new outposts in the contested West Bank, marking a ongoing drive for territorial growth. Hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and proposed the step in concert with Defence Minister Israel Katz, declared that the move was intended for blocking the establishment of a sovereign Palestine. Under international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered unlawful. The decision has elicited censure from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has previously stated that Israel's "relentless" growth of communities fuels tensions, limits Palestinians' access to territory, and threatens the viability of a sovereign Palestine. Rising Tensions and Political Fallout Violence in the region has surged since the conflict in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023, intensifying apprehensions that settlement expansion could deepen Israel's occupation and weaken the possibility for a peaceful resolution based on two states. The two-state solution envisions the establishment of a State of Palestine in the Palestinian territories, with Jerusalem's eastern sector as its seat of government, broadly along the lines that were in place prior to the 1967 Six-Day Middle East war. Upon assuming leadership in 2022, the present government in Jerusalem has ramped up the authorization of fresh communities and begun the legalisation process for unauthorised outposts, recognising them as "suburbs" of existing settlements. A Pattern of Growth The most recent approval brings the overall count of communities recognized over the preceding 36 months to sixty-nine, as stated by Minister Smotrich. These approvals arrive just days after the United Nations said that construction in settlements had reached its highest level since the year 2017. The most recent batch of approvals encompasses the revival of a pair of communities — Ganim and Kadim — which were removed nearly in 2005. Earlier this year, Israel authorized 22 additional settlements in the territories - described as the most significant expansion in many years. Additionally, the government gave the go-ahead for blueprints last summer to construct more than 3,000 residences in the so-called E1 corridor between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement, a plan that had been frozen for decades amid fierce international opposition. Regarding that plan, the Finance Minister said it would "put to rest the idea of a Palestinian state." Demographic Realities and Global Reactions An estimated 700,000 Israeli settlers live in approximately 160 communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as per data from the Israel-based monitoring organization Peace Now. This is territory that Palestinians seek for a prospective sovereign nation. Settlement expansion has angered Arab nations who have repeatedly said it undermines hopes for a peaceful two-state outcome. It has furthermore raised anxieties about the possible formal annexation of the occupied West Bank. Ex- US President Donald Trump had previously cautioned Israel about this step, telling a publication that the country would lose its backing from the US if it occurred. In a policy change, the UK - together with other countries including Australia and Canada - formally recognized a Palestinian state, a significant although largely symbolic shift in government policy. Israel strongly rejected this recognition, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserting that a Palestinian state "is off the table."