Earlier this week, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry called Israel's plan to establish 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank a 'dangerous step' aimed at tightening its grip on Palestinian land.
In a social media statement on Tuesday, the ministry said the move extends 'the policies of apartheid,' undermines the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and destroys any real prospect of stability. It argued that the decision is part of efforts to block the creation of a future Palestinian state.
On Sunday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a leading pro-settler figure, announced that Israel's security cabinet approved these 19 settlements, bringing the total number of new or legalized settlements over the past three years to 69.
Smotrich framed the move as a push to strengthen Jewish communities across the West Bank and to prevent what he called the 'de facto establishment' of a Palestinian state.
Since the current right-wing government took office earlier this year, settlement approvals have accelerated. Parties within this coalition oppose Palestinian statehood and advocate expanding Israeli control over the territories. International criticism has mounted as most countries view these settlements as illegal under international law—a position that Israel disputes.
Earlier this month, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that such expansions continue 'to fuel tensions, impede access by Palestinians to their land and threaten the viability of a fully independent, democratic, contiguous and sovereign Palestinian State.'
The West Bank and East Jerusalem have been under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians see the settlement expansion as an existential challenge to their aspirations for statehood, while supporters in Israel describe it as vital for security and historical claims.
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Palestine says Israel's approval of new settlements 'dangerous step'
cgtn.com
