Israel to Establish 22 New Settlements in West Bank, Legalize Unauthorized Outposts

Israel to Establish 22 New Settlements in West Bank, Legalize Unauthorized Outposts

Last Updated May - 29 - 2025, 05:30 PM | Source : Fela News

Israel announces plans to create 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, including legalizing existing outposts—drawing international criticism amid conce

On Thursday, May 29, 2025, Israel announced plans to establish 22 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, including the formal legalization of previously unauthorized outposts. The West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem were seized by Israel during the 1967 Mideast war—territories the Palestinians seek for a future state. The majority of the international community considers these settlements illegal and a barrier to peace.

Defense Minister Israel Katz described the move as reinforcing Israel’s claim to the land, calling it a “strategic” step to counter Palestinian terrorism and prevent the formation of a Palestinian state. Referring to the West Bank by its biblical name, “Judea and Samaria,” Katz said the expansion affirms Israel’s historic right to the territory.

Currently, over 500,000 Israelis live in more than 100 settlements throughout the West Bank, ranging from small outposts to fully developed towns. Around 3 million Palestinians also live in the territory, governed partly by the Palestinian Authority but under overall Israeli military control. Settlers are Israeli citizens, enjoying far greater rights than their Palestinian neighbors.

Settlement growth had been accelerating well before the start of the Gaza war following Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023, further fragmenting Palestinian territory and making a future independent state increasingly unlikely.

In the U.S., former President Donald Trump’s administration diverged from longstanding American policy by supporting Israel’s territorial claims and legitimizing settlements. President Joe Biden opposed settlement activity but took minimal action to restrain Israel’s expansion.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled last year that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and called for an immediate end to settlement activity. Israel dismissed the ICJ’s non-binding ruling, insisting the territories are part of the Jewish ancestral homeland.

While Israel withdrew from settlements in Gaza in 2005, current Israeli leaders have floated the idea of rebuilding them and encouraging “voluntary” relocation of Palestinians—a plan critics argue could violate international law and amount to forced displacement.

Israel now controls over 70% of Gaza, including large evacuated zones, the southern city of Rafah, and buffer areas near its border, according to Yaakov Garb, a professor at Ben Gurion University who specializes in land use.

The ongoing war, sparked by Hamas' October 7 assault that killed around 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 251 others, continues to exact a heavy toll. Hamas still holds 58 hostages, about a third of whom are believed to be alive. Israel has rescued eight hostages and recovered the bodies of dozens more.

Israel’s response has led to the deaths of more than 54,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilian and militant casualties.

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