Israel's government has approved 22 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank despite some Western countries threatening targeted sanctions.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist who advocates for Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, said on Thursday the new settlements would be located in the northern area of the West Bank but did not specify where.
Israel's Defense Ministry said that among the new Jewish settlements, existing "outposts" would be legalised and new settlements would also be built.
"[It] strengthens our hold on Judea and Samaria [West Bank], anchors our historical right in the Land of Israel, and constitutes a crushing response to Palestinian terrorism," Defense Minister Israel Katz said.
He added it was also “a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel".
Australia condemns Israel for illegal settlement in occupied West Bank Photo shows A general view of the West Bank Jewish settlement of Efrat. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has added Australia's voice to international condemnation over the Israeli government's decision to build thousands of settlement units in the occupied West Bank in violation of international law.
Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war.
Israel later annexed East Jerusalem in a move not recognised by most of the international community.
Palestinians see expansion of the settlements as a hindrance to their aspirations to establish an independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Israel has already built over 100 settlements in the territory, which range from small hilltop "outposts" to fully developed communities with apartment blocks, shopping malls, and factories.
Most of the international community considers these settlements illegal, including Australia.
The International Court of Justice ruled Israeli settlements in the West Bank were illegal. (ABC News: Haidarr Jones)
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2024 that Israel was in breach of international law, ordering it to end settlement activity and pay reparations to Palestinians.
Israel's government dismissed that finding as "blatantly one-sided" and not legally binding.
It deems most settlements legal under its own laws, while some of the illegal "outposts" are often tolerated and sometimes later legalised.
There is a growing list of European countries demanding an end to the war in Gaza, while Britain, France and Canada warned Israel this month it could impose targeted sanctions if Israel continued to expand settlements in the West Bank.
A joint statement by the three countries also said that they "strongly oppose the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza".
Settlement activity in the West Bank has accelerated sharply since the war in Gaza, now in its 20th month.
Top UN court says Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal Photo shows A woman stands on the side of a dirt road near buildings and flashing a V-sign with her fingers at a military vehicle driving by The world's highest court issues an opinion that describes Israel's actions as a breach of the Geneva Convention and other international law.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, called Israel's decision a "dangerous escalation," accusing the government of continuing to drag the region into a "cycle of violence and instability".
"This extremist Israeli government is trying by all means to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state," he told Reuters, urging US President Donald Trump's administration to intervene.
The Israeli anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now called it "the most extensive move of its kind" in more than 30 years and warned it would "dramatically reshape the West Bank and entrench the occupation even further".
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri condemned the announcement and called on the US and the European Union to take action.
"The announcement of the building of 22 new settlements in the West Bank is part of the war led by Netanyahu against the Palestinian people," Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
Following the ICJ ruling last year, Australia sanctioned seven Israeli settlers in the West Bank due to violent attacks on Palestinians, including sexual assault and torture.
Cornwallis400 on May 30th, 2025 at 00:54 UTC »
Israel effectively gave up on peace after the Second Intifada. The Israeli far right has jumped on the backlash of what has now been 25 years of consistent terror attacks and are using it to slowly push Palestinians out even faster than before. There used to be a strong, unified Israeli left that wanted a peace deal + an end to settlements, but Hamas rampaging through the kibbutz’s and slaughtering people at the Nova Festival has sidelined Israeli liberals politically.
Unfortunately, these settlements will only guarantee more conflict, as it will likely radicalize some of the people they displace - either directly with land seizures, or indirectly by seizure of water that feeds into Palestinian areas.
Kind of a no win situation. And it’s a shame because Bibi and Hamas were at peak unpopularity before 10/7, with global support for a Palestinian state surging - now Hamas and the Israeli right are holding all the cards.
Nervous-Basis-1707 on May 29th, 2025 at 22:04 UTC »
Israel is not interested in peace with the Palestinians, the US and Europe need to understand that Israel has always lied to them. They want the Palestinians to live in a state of purgatory while Israeli settlers steal more land in the West Bank.
This is a land grab at the very least, but more of a creeping genocide that’s being allowed to happen by Europe and the US. They still have an idealistic view of the Israeli people, underestimating their cruelty and hatred for the Palestinians.
DonXiDada on May 29th, 2025 at 21:49 UTC »
If you are a Palestinian and want to prevent your country disappearing you have the following options.
Peacefull protest & international appeal. This is what the people in the Westbank do, there are occasional protests and the people appeal international trough media. Such as movies/documentaries such as no other land.This doesn't really do anything, even if you win an Oscar you will still be attacked and detained while the West-Bank is salami sliced 1 settlement at a time.
Violent protest. You will get shot and die
Terrorism. Your city block will get shot and you and your family and friends all die.
Let's face it, all the Palestinian options are a dead end. Israel isn't really interested in any kind of peaceful 2 state options and their policy is slowly annex or bomb if you resist.
This clearly doesn't work and suffering of ordinary people keeps continuing. Sometimes I feel the world should just make the Israeli’s buy the Palestinians out 200k per person and be done with it. If every Palestinian owned 200K resettlement fee, it probably would be a lot easier as well for the settlement countries.