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Israel's security cabinet has given its endorsement to the establishment of nineteen additional settlements in the disputed Palestinian territories, signaling a sustained campaign for settlement expansion.

Far-right Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who advocated for the move alongside Defense Chief Israel Katz, stated that the move was aimed at thwarting the creation of a sovereign Palestine.

It is important to note that Israeli settlements in the disputed territories are considered illegal.

The decision has elicited criticism from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has said that Israel's "unceasing" growth of communities heightens tensions, limits Palestinians' use of territory, and jeopardizes the viability of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Rising Tensions and Political Repercussions

Clashes in the region has increased sharply since the hostilities in Gaza began in the autumn of 2023, intensifying concerns that settlement expansion could solidify the Israeli presence and undermine the possibility for a peaceful resolution based on two states.

The two-state solution refers to the establishment of a State of Palestine in the Palestinian territories, with East Jerusalem as its seat of government, broadly along the lines that were in place prior to the 1967 Six-Day Middle East war.

Since taking office in late 2022, the incumbent government in Jerusalem has ramped up the authorization of new settlements and started the formal recognition for informal settler outposts, designating them as "neighbourhoods" of existing communities.

Sustained Growth

The most recent approval pushes the cumulative figure of communities recognized over the preceding 36 months to 69, per the figures from the Finance Minister.

These decisions come only a few days after the United Nations stated that construction in settlements had reached its most intense pace since 2017.

The most recent round of authorizations encompasses the rebuilding of two settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were removed almost two decades ago.

Previously, the Israeli government approved 22 new communities in the territories - what was the most significant wave of approvals in decades.

Furthermore, the government gave the go-ahead for projects in August to build over three thousand residences in the so-called E1 area between the capital and the Maale Adumim community, a plan that had been stalled for decades amid intense global condemnation.

Regarding that plan, Smotrich said it would "put to rest the notion of a Palestinian state."

Demographic Facts and International Response

Approximately seven hundred thousand settlers live in approximately one hundred and sixty settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Israel-based anti-settlement group Peace Now. This is land that Palestinians aspire to have for a future sovereign nation.

Settlement expansion has angered neighboring countries who have repeatedly argued it undermines hopes for a peaceful two-state outcome.

It has furthermore sparked fears about the possible incorporation of the disputed territories.

Former US President Donald Trump had previously cautioned the Israeli leadership about this step, telling TIME magazine that Israel would forfeit all its support from the United States if it proceeded.

Recently, the United Kingdom - joined by other countries including Australia and Canada - formally recognized a Palestinian state, a notable although primarily ceremonial shift in foreign policy.

Israel was against this recognition, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that a sovereign Palestine "is off the table."