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Israel's defense cabinet has given its endorsement to the formalization of nineteen fresh settlements in the disputed Palestinian territories, representing a sustained push for settlement expansion.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and proposed the step in concert with Defence Minister Israel Katz, asserted that the approval was aimed at thwarting the formation of a Palestinian state.

According to global statutes, Jewish communities in the disputed territories are considered illegal.

The decision has elicited criticism from Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has said that Israel's "persistent" settlement expansion heightens tensions, limits Palestinian access to land, and threatens the feasibility of a sovereign Palestine.

Rising Unrest and Political Fallout

Violence in the occupied West Bank has increased sharply since the war in Gaza started in October 2023, intensifying apprehensions that the growth of communities could solidify the Israeli presence and damage the prospects for a peaceful resolution based on two states.

The concept of two states involves the formation of a State of Palestine in the Palestinian territories, with Jerusalem's eastern sector as its capital, largely along the borders that existed prior to the 1967 Six-Day Arab-Israeli war.

Since taking office in late 2022, the current government in Jerusalem has significantly increased the approval of new settlements and initiated the formal recognition for previously illegal outposts, classifying them as "extensions" of existing communities.

Sustained Expansion

The latest approval pushes the overall count of settlements recognized over the past three years to sixty-nine, per the figures from Minister Smotrich.

These approvals are announced a short time after the UN reported that construction in settlements had hit its highest level since the year 2017.

The latest round of approvals features the rebuilding of a pair of settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were removed about two decades ago.

In a previous move, Israel approved twenty-two new communities in the territories - labeled as the biggest expansion in decades.

In a related development, the government also approved projects in August to construct in excess of 3,000 housing units in the so-called E1 project between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim community, a project that had been stalled for many years amid fierce international condemnation.

Regarding that plan, Smotrich stated it would "put to rest the idea of a Palestinian state."

Population Realities and International Response

An estimated 700,000 Israeli settlers reside in about 160 communities in the occupied territories, according to the Israel-based monitoring organization Peace Now. This is land that Palestinians aspire to have for a future independent state.

Settlement expansion has drawn ire from neighboring countries who have consistently contended it erodes hopes for a peaceful two-state outcome.

It has furthermore raised fears about the possible incorporation of the occupied West Bank.

Ex- US President Donald Trump had previously warned Israel about this step, telling a publication that Israel would forfeit all its support from the US if it proceeded.

Recently, the United Kingdom - along with other countries including Australia and Canada - formally recognized a Palestinian state, a significant although largely symbolic change in government policy.

The Israeli government strongly rejected the move, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that a sovereign Palestine "is not going to occur."