Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Wednesday the designation of 465 dunams (115 acres) of land as “state land” to expand the illegal settlement of Givat Haroeh, built on lands in the Ramallah and al-Bireh governorate in the occupied West Bank.
Smotrich wrote on the US social media company X that “465 dunams have been declared state land for the purpose of expanding Givat Haroeh settlement.”
He added that “we continue to build, expand, and strengthen effective sovereignty on the ground,” claiming the move would “strengthen Israelis’ security.”
Smotrich also reiterated his opposition to Palestinian statehood. “During my term, a Palestinian state will not be established,” he wrote.
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Israeli Channel 7 reported that the declaration follows the security cabinet’s approval in February 2023 to recognize Givat Haroeh as an “independent settlement.”
It said authorities are currently advancing an initial construction plan for the settlement that includes more than 900 housing units.
In February, the Israeli government approved a decision allowing it to begin seizing large areas of Palestinian land in the West Bank by registering them as “state property” for the first time since 1967.
The UN has repeatedly affirmed that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law, warning that they undermine prospects for a two-state solution.
Palestinians insist on East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, based on international resolutions that do not recognize Israel’s 1967 occupation or its 1980 annexation of the city.
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