Israel’s security cabinet has approved the recognition of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank as the government continues its settlement expansion push.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who proposed the move alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz, said the decision was about blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law.
Since taking office in 2022, the current Israeli government has significantly increased the approval of new settlements. The most recent decision brings the total number of settlements approved over the past three years to 69, according to Smotrich.
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