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

Far-right Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who put forward the move in concert with Defense Chief Israel Katz, asserted that the move was about blocking the formation of a Palestinian state.

According to global statutes, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered unlawful.

The announcement has elicited criticism from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has commented that Israel's "persistent" settlement expansion exacerbates tensions, curtails Palestinian use of land, and jeopardizes the prospects of a independent Palestine.

Rising Unrest and Political Repercussions

Unrest in the region has surged since the conflict in Gaza began in the autumn of 2023, further heightening fears that the growth of communities could entrench Israel's occupation and damage the prospects for a two-state solution.

The two-state solution envisions the formation of a State of Palestine in the Palestinian territories, with Jerusalem's eastern sector as its capital, largely along the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war.

Since taking office in late 2022, the present Israeli government has significantly increased the approval of fresh communities and initiated the process of legalization for informal settler outposts, classifying them as "suburbs" of existing communities.

Ongoing Expansion

The most recent decision takes the overall count of settlements recognized over the past three years to sixty-nine, as stated by the Finance Minister.

These authorizations are announced just days after the UN said that settlement expansion had reached its peak since 2017.

The newest group of approvals includes the rebuilding of a pair of settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were dismantled about two decades ago.

Earlier this year, the Israeli government approved 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank - described as the most significant expansion in decades.

Additionally, the Israeli government gave the go-ahead for plans in August to erect over 3,000 residences in the controversial E1 project between the capital and the Maale Adumim settlement, a project that had been frozen for many years amid strong international condemnation.

On that occasion, the Finance Minister remarked it would "bury the concept of a Palestinian state."

Demographic Realities and Global Response

An estimated seven hundred thousand settlers live in around 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now. This is land that Palestinians envision for a future sovereign nation.

Settlement expansion has provoked Arab states who have repeatedly argued it erodes chances for a two-state solution.

It has furthermore fueled anxieties about the eventual incorporation of the occupied West Bank.

Former US President Donald Trump had once cautioned the Israeli leadership about such a move, telling a publication that Israel would forfeit all its support from the US if it happened.

Recently, the UK - together with other countries such as Australia and Canada - recognised a State of Palestine, a significant although primarily ceremonial shift in foreign policy.

The Israeli government opposed this recognition, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that a sovereign Palestine "is not going to occur."