Israel moves to establish over 10 new West Bank settlements

The Israeli government on Sunday formally unveiled plans to establish 11 new settlements in the West Bank and to grant official status to 8 additional outposts and settlement neighborhood.

The decision, approved earlier this month by the security cabinet, was publicly announced following a joint initiative led by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. 

Although the cabinet signed off on the plan on December 12, officials delayed its public release until now.

According to the government resolution, the newly designated settlements are spread across different regions of the West Bank, significantly expanding Israel’s civilian footprint in the area. Several of the sites had previously existed as unauthorized outposts or as neighborhoods administratively tied to other settlements, while others involve locations that were evacuated nearly two decades ago.

Two of the communities included in the announcement, Ganim and Kadim, were dismantled in 2005 during Israel’s unilateral disengagement, which saw a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and four settlements in northern West Bank. 

In recent years, legislative and administrative steps have paved the way for their return, including a 2023 law that nullified provisions underpinning their original evacuation.

Other settlements named in the announcement include Kida, Esh Kodesh, Givat Harel, Kochav Hashachar-North, Nof Gilad, Har Bezek, and Reihanit, among others. In one case, the government formalized the separation of Givat Harel as an independent settlement after previously functioning as part of a larger community.

Speaking alongside settlement leaders, Smotrich framed the move as both corrective and strategic. He described the recognition of Ganim and Kadim as a reversal of what he called a historic wrong, and argued that expanding Jewish communities in the West Bank is essential to preventing the emergence of a Palestinian state.

“This decision strengthens our hold on the West Bank and reinforces our national vision,” Smotrich said.

The announcement is likely to draw criticism from Israel’s allies and international bodies, many of which view settlement construction as a violation of international law and a major obstacle to a negotiated two-state solution. Palestinian leaders have repeatedly condemned such moves, warning they further entrench the occupation and undermine prospects for peace.

Within Israel, however, supporters of the plan see it as a fulfillment of ideological commitments and a consolidation of facts on the ground, particularly in areas considered strategically or historically significant.

As implementation begins, attention is expected to turn to potential legal challenges, international reactions, and the impact the decision may have on security dynamics across the West Bank.