Jerusalem: Israel's Security Cabinet 'secretly' approved the establishment of 34 illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank during a recent session, Israeli media reported on Thursday. Channel 24 did not specify the exact date of the decision but said it was taken during the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began Feb. 28.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Security Cabinet's approval marks an unprecedented move with the largest number of settlements ever sanctioned in a single session. The decision includes sites within Palestinian neighborhoods in the northern West Bank and remote areas typically less frequented by Israeli forces. The total number of illegal settlements approved by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since it came to power in late 2022 has now risen to 103.
Channel 24 reported that Israel's Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir attended the meeting and, while not explicitly objecting to the decision, raised concerns about limited manpower and suggested an assessment of implementing the decision across multiple areas simultaneously. The decision was kept secret to avoid US pressure, given President Donald Trump's public opposition to Israeli annexation of the West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the Israeli move, describing it as a 'dangerous escalation' and a 'blatant violation' of international law. In a statement via the state news agency Wafa, the authority cited UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which declares all settlement activity in occupied Palestinian territory illegal. The authority urged the international community, especially the United States, to intervene to halt the 'unilateral Israeli measures.'
Illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has accelerated since Netanyahu's government took office. The international community and the United Nations consider the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as occupied Palestinian territory, deeming Israeli settlement activity illegal under international law. Approximately 750,000 Israeli settlers live in 141 illegal settlements and 224 outposts across the West Bank, including 250,000 in 15 illegal settlements in East Jerusalem.
Palestinian officials caution that such actions could lead to Israel formally annexing the West Bank, jeopardizing the prospects for a Palestinian state as envisioned in UN resolutions. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.