AhlulBayt News Agency: Israel’s political and security cabinet approved a plan to legalize and expand 19 settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move condemned by the United Nations as the largest settlement expansion in years and a direct violation of international law and the two-state solution.
Hebrew media reported on Friday that the cabinet endorsed a proposal from Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich to legalize and organize 19 existing settlements and outposts across the West Bank. Channel 14, aligned with the far-right government, said Thursday night’s meeting focused on accelerating planning for both old settlements and new ones.
Among the settlements mentioned were Ganim and Kadim, evacuated in 2005 during Israel’s disengagement from Gaza. The channel described the decision as a “full return” of settlers to northern areas of what Israel calls Judea and Samaria, portraying it as a “revolution” led by Smotrich and a “real earthquake” in the settlement enterprise. Preparations for rapid implementation reportedly began following cabinet directives.
The Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now stated that about 500,000 settlers currently live in West Bank settlements, while another 250,000 reside in settlements built on occupied East Jerusalem land.
Observers warned that formal annexation of the West Bank would eliminate any chance of a two-state solution, as outlined in UN resolutions. Israel has consistently rejected withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territory and the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital since 1948.
Moayad Shaaban, head of the Palestinian Authority’s Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, said the cabinet’s approval of 19 new settlements was “another step in erasing Palestinian geography in favor of the colonial settlement project.”
In a press statement, Shaaban said the decision marked a dangerous escalation, exposing the Israeli government’s intent to entrench annexation and apartheid while cementing Judaization of Palestinian land.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned Israel’s settlement expansion, including in Jerusalem, warning that 2025 witnessed the largest expansion of settlement plans since UN monitoring began.
In a report released Friday, Guterres said settlement activity and settler violence escalated to alarming levels, especially during the olive harvest season. He stressed that all Israeli settlements are illegal under international law and violate Palestinian rights.
Guterres also expressed concern over Gaza’s fragile security situation and ongoing violence threatening the ceasefire. He noted repeated Israeli airstrikes caused heavy civilian casualties and widespread destruction.
Despite limited improvements in food supplies, most Gaza residents still lacked access to basic protein, highlighting the severity of the humanitarian crisis. He emphasized accountability for atrocity crimes and violations of international law.
The report concluded that Gaza’s humanitarian situation had reached catastrophic levels, with more than 80 percent of residential and public buildings damaged or destroyed.
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