Israel’s Security Cabinet on Thursday approved a plan to establish 13 illegal new settlements in the central occupied West Bank, prompting Palestinian officials to warn that the move would further fragment the territory and isolate East Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings, Anadolu reports.
Israel’s Channel 7 reported that the Cabinet approved the construction of the new illegal settlements in the “Binyamin” regional area, with the implementation of the first phase expected to begin in the coming months.
According to the report, “the Binyamin Regional Council” plans to launch “the first phase” of the project by establishing between four and six new illegal settlements, backed by investments worth millions of shekels.
The Jerusalem Governorate condemned the decision, saying it forms part of a broader Israeli policy aimed at expanding illegal settlements and severing East Jerusalem from the rest of the occupied West Bank.
In a statement, the governorate said the plan seeks to create “new geographical realities on the ground, particularly in areas northwest of Jerusalem, west of the Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorates, and along the eastern slopes toward the Jordan Valley.”
READ: Israeli forces begin paving settlement road near Bethlehem, uproot olive trees west of Jenin
The initial phase would include the construction of four to six new illegal settlements and the legalization of several existing settlement outposts by providing them with government funding and infrastructure, the statement added.
The governorate linked the acceleration of settlement projects to Israel’s domestic political considerations ahead of forthcoming elections.
It warned that the expansion plans represent “a dangerous escalation” intended to tighten Israeli control over Palestinian land, fragment the occupied West Bank and isolate Jerusalem, undermining prospects for a geographically contiguous Palestinian state.
The statement described the measures as “violations of international law and relevant international resolutions,” calling on the international community to intervene to halt illegal Israeli settlement policies.
On Wednesday, the Palestinian Center for Israeli Studies (Madar) said settlement outposts had expanded at an unprecedented pace in recent years, with the annual average rising from eight between 2012 and 2022 to 32 in 2023, 62 in 2024 and 86 during 2025.
READ: Palestine slams Israeli plan to establish 100 illegal settlement sites in occupied West Bank
