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Israel's defense cabinet has given its endorsement to the establishment of nineteen new outposts in the occupied Palestinian territories, marking a continued push for territorial growth.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and proposed the measure together with Defence Minister Israel Katz, asserted that the decision was about thwarting the establishment of a sovereign Palestine.

According to global statutes, Jewish communities in the occupied West Bank are viewed as unlawful.

The announcement has elicited censure from Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has said that Israel's "unceasing" growth of communities heightens tensions, restricts Palestinians' use of territory, and threatens the viability of a sovereign Palestine.

Rising Unrest and Political Repercussions

Violence in the occupied West Bank has escalated since the war in Gaza started in October 2023, intensifying fears that the growth of communities could solidify Israel's occupation and weaken the possibility for a peaceful resolution based on two states.

The concept of two states envisions the creation of a State of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with Jerusalem's eastern sector as its seat of government, roughly along the lines that were in place prior to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Upon assuming leadership in late 2022, the incumbent Israeli government has greatly accelerated the authorization of new settlements and started the legalisation process for previously illegal outposts, designating them as "neighbourhoods" of established communities.

Sustained Growth

The latest decision brings the overall count of settlements approved over the past three years to sixty-nine, according to Smotrich.

These decisions arrive a short time after the UN reported that settlement expansion had hit its highest level since 2017.

The newest group of authorizations encompasses the rebuilding of a pair of settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were removed about 20 years ago.

Previously, Israel approved 22 new communities in the occupied West Bank - what was the largest wave of approvals in many years.

Furthermore, the Israeli government sanctioned plans last summer to erect more than three thousand housing units in the controversial E1 project between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement, a project that had been on hold for decades amid fierce global condemnation.

At that time, the Finance Minister said it would "put to rest the concept of a Palestinian state."

Population Realities and Global Response

Roughly seven hundred thousand Israeli settlers live in about 160 communities in the occupied territories, as per data from the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now. This is territory that the Palestinian people aspire to have for a prospective independent state.

Settlement expansion has angered Arab states who have steadfastly said it erodes prospects for a two-state solution.

It has also raised anxieties about the possible formal annexation of the disputed territories.

Former American President Donald Trump had previously admonished the Israeli leadership about annexation, stating to a publication that the country would lose its backing from the United States if it occurred.

In a diplomatic shift, the UK - together with other countries such as Australia and Canada - recognised a Palestinian state, a significant although primarily ceremonial adjustment in government policy.

Israel strongly rejected the move, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu saying that a sovereign Palestine "is off the table."