Settlement construction has continued for decades under every Israeli government. As of last year, more than 130 settlements had been built with Israeli government approval since 1967.
More than a hundred unauthorized settlement outposts have been built since the 1990s, and Israeli authorities are working to retroactively legalize many of them.
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers now live in the West Bank—not counting the 200,000 in East Jerusalem—along with more than 2.7 million Palestinians. Some settlements are home to religious Zionists who believe the area is their biblical birthright. Many secular and ultra-Orthodox Jews have also moved there, largely for cheaper housing.
This year the Israeli government designated a record amount of land, approximately 6,000 hectareseligible for a settlement in March is a further signal of Mr Smotrich’s intention to strengthen Israel’s hold on the West Bank.
In March, UN human rights chief Volker Türk condemned the rapid expansion of settlements after a UN report showed a “dramatic increase in the intensity, severity and regularity of Israeli settler and state violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including the East Bank”. Jerusalem, especially since October 7, 2023, accelerating the expulsion of Palestinians from their land.”
Tor Wennesland, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said on Tuesday there were signs of an accelerated settlement and legalization of outposts. undermine the prospects for a two-state solution.
That appears to be the goal of Mr. Smotrich, who strongly opposes Palestinian statehood. He has said he will legalize additional outposts in response to any nation that announces recognition of a Palestinian state.
In the past two months, Spain, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia and Armenia have formally recognised an independent Palestinian state. In a social media post on Thursday, Mr Smotrich indicated that the latest settlement had been legalised a response to those decisions.
“We will continue building settlements to ensure Israel’s security and prevent the creation of a Palestinian state, which would endanger our existence,” he said.
Major General Yehuda Fox, the head of Israel’s Central Command, which is responsible for the West Bank, has said that since Mr Smotrich took office, efforts to tackle illegal settlement construction have slowed “to the point where they have disappeared.”
Aaron Boxerman reporting contributed.
