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Israel's defense cabinet has formally approved the establishment of nineteen additional outposts in the occupied Palestinian territories, marking a ongoing push for settlement expansion.

Far-right Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and advocated for the move in concert with Defense Chief Israel Katz, declared that the decision was aimed at blocking the formation of a sovereign Palestine.

Under international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are deemed illegal.

The decision has drawn censure from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has previously stated that Israel's "persistent" settlement expansion heightens tensions, curtails Palestinian access to territory, and threatens the prospects of a sovereign Palestine.

Increased Unrest and Diplomatic Fallout

Violence in the region has escalated since the conflict in Gaza started in the autumn of 2023, further heightening apprehensions that settlement expansion could entrench the Israeli presence and undermine the prospects for a peaceful resolution based on two states.

The concept of two states refers to the formation of a State of Palestine in the Palestinian territories, with East Jerusalem as its seat of government, roughly along the boundaries that were in place prior to the 1967 Middle East war.

Upon assuming leadership in 2022, the current Israeli government has greatly accelerated the authorization of fresh communities and begun the process of legalization for informal settler outposts, recognising them as "neighbourhoods" of established communities.

Ongoing Growth

The latest approval pushes the cumulative figure of communities approved over the preceding 36 months to 69, as stated by Minister Smotrich.

These authorizations are announced only a few days after the UN reported that construction in settlements had attained its peak since the year 2017.

The latest round of approvals includes the rebuilding of two communities — Ganim and Kadim — which were dismantled almost 20 years ago.

Previously, Israel approved twenty-two additional communities in the occupied West Bank - labeled as the most significant expansion in decades.

Additionally, the government sanctioned blueprints last summer to build over three thousand housing units in the controversial E1 area between the capital and the Maale Adumim settlement, a plan that had been frozen for many years amid fierce foreign condemnation.

Regarding that plan, the Finance Minister remarked it would "put to rest the idea of a Palestinian state."

Demographic Realities and Global Reactions

Roughly 700,000 Israeli settlers dwell in around 160 communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Israel-based anti-settlement group Peace Now. This is territory that the Palestinian people envision for a future independent state.

Settlement expansion has drawn ire from Arab states who have repeatedly contended it harms chances for a peaceful two-state outcome.

It has furthermore fueled fears about the eventual annexing of the disputed territories.

Ex- American President Donald Trump had once admonished the Israeli leadership about this step, telling TIME magazine that Israel would forfeit all its support from the United States if it occurred.

In a policy change, the UK - together with other countries such as Australia and Canada - acknowledged a State of Palestine, a significant although largely symbolic adjustment in government policy.

The Israeli government was against this step, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu asserting that a Palestinian state "is not going to occur."