The Voice News: RAMALLAH, West Bank — May 29, 2025:
In a controversial and provocative move, Israel has approved the establishment of 22 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, a decision likely to deepen rifts with key global allies and further destabilize an already volatile region.
The announcement came from Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right figure known for his advocacy of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank. Taking to social media platform X, Smotrich stated that the settlements would be located in the northern West Bank, though he offered no specific locations.
Israeli media reports, citing the Defence Ministry, indicated that the decision includes both the formal legalization of existing outposts and the construction of entirely new settlements. A spokesperson for Defence Minister Israel Katz declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
Global Backlash and Regional Alarm
The move has triggered sharp rebukes from international actors. The Western-backed Palestinian Authority denounced the announcement as a “dangerous escalation,” warning it would drag the region into further violence and instability. Spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh accused the Israeli government of attempting to derail any possibility of a future Palestinian state.
“This extremist Israeli government is trying by all means to prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,” Rudeineh told Reuters, calling on the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene.
The militant group Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, echoed the condemnation. Spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri described the settlement approval as “part of Netanyahu’s war against the Palestinian people,” urging the United States and European Union to take firm action.
Mounting International Pressure
The international response has been swift and stern. Several European countries—including the United Kingdom, France, and Canada—have recently warned Israel that continued settlement expansion could trigger targeted sanctions. These nations argue that such actions undermine the prospects for a two-state solution and violate international law.
British Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, criticized the decision, calling it a “deliberate obstacle to Palestinian statehood.”
“Settlements are illegal under international law, further imperil the two-state solution, and do not protect Israel,” Falconer said in a statement posted on X.
While Israel considers its settlements legal under domestic legislation, most of the international community—including the United Nations—deems them illegal. Even within Israel, so-called “outposts” that lack formal government approval are often retrospectively legalized, a practice that human rights groups have long criticized.
Human Rights Concerns
B’Tselem, a prominent Israeli human rights organization, issued a strong condemnation of the government’s move, accusing it of promoting “Jewish supremacy through the theft of Palestinian land and ethnic cleansing of the West Bank.” The organization also criticized global powers for what it described as their “enabling” of Israeli policies.
“This is not just about settlements,” the group said in a statement. “It is about a calculated effort to erase the Palestinian presence from the land and rewrite the rules of occupation.”
Settlement Expansion Amid Conflict
The timing of the announcement adds to its explosive nature. Israel’s settlement activities have escalated significantly since the onset of the Gaza conflict, now entering its 20th month. Alongside intensified military operations against Palestinian militants in the West Bank, there has also been a noticeable rise in settler violence targeting Palestinian civilians.
The new decision was lauded by Yisrael Ganz, chairman of the Yesha Council, a key advocacy group for Jewish settlers and a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ganz declared the settlement approval a “historic decision,” stating it sent a clear signal of Israel’s intent to “strengthen its security and permanence in the region.”
“We are here not only to stay but to establish the State of Israel here for all its residents,” Ganz asserted.
A Deepening Divide
Roughly 700,000 Israeli settlers currently live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem—territories captured from Jordan during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. While Israel unilaterally annexed East Jerusalem, a move not recognized internationally, it has stopped short of officially extending sovereignty over the West Bank. Nevertheless, the expansion of settlements has de facto altered the region’s demographic and political landscape.
For Palestinians, these settlements represent a fundamental barrier to their aspiration for an independent state comprising the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. With regional tensions at a boiling point, Israel’s latest move may further derail diplomatic efforts and draw the region closer to prolonged instability.