RAMALLAH – The Palestinian foreign ministry strongly condemned Israel’s decision to officially recognize over a dozen new settlements in the occupied West Bank, upgrading existing neighborhoods to independent settlement status. The move was criticized as a blatant disregard for international law and global resolutions.
Israel’s security cabinet approved the decision, a move hailed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right leader and prominent advocate for Israeli settlement expansion. Smotrich called it an “important step” for the development of settlements in the region. He has long pushed for the formal annexation of the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, a move not recognized by most of the international community.
“The recognition of each neighborhood as a separate community is a crucial step that would support their growth,” Smotrich stated on Telegram, referring to the decision as part of a broader “revolution” in settlement policy. “Instead of hiding and apologizing, we raise the flag, we build, and we settle,” he added. He also described the move as progress toward achieving de facto sovereignty in the region, known biblically as Judea and Samaria.
The Palestinian foreign ministry highlighted this latest decision as part of an ongoing pattern of land confiscation and military escalation in the northern West Bank. It condemned the actions as an unprecedented intensification of settlement expansion.
The 13 settlement neighborhoods approved by the Israeli cabinet are scattered across the West Bank. Some are connected to larger settlements, while others function as independent communities. However, their full recognition under Israeli law remains pending.
The Yesha Council, representing municipal councils in the West Bank settlements, praised Smotrich for his role in advancing the decision, calling it a step toward the normalization of settlement expansion. According to European Union data, 2023 has seen a record number of settlement building permits issued by Israel, the highest in 30 years.