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The nation's top security body has given its endorsement to the establishment of nineteen fresh settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, representing a ongoing drive for territorial growth.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and proposed the step alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz, stated that the move was about thwarting the formation of a sovereign Palestine.

According to global statutes, Israeli settlements in the disputed territories are deemed illegal.

The announcement has elicited criticism from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has previously stated that Israel's "relentless" settlement expansion exacerbates tensions, limits Palestinians' use of territory, and jeopardizes the prospects of a independent Palestinian state.

Escalating Unrest and Diplomatic Fallout

Clashes in the occupied West Bank has escalated since the hostilities in Gaza erupted in October 2023, intensifying concerns that the growth of communities could solidify the Israeli presence and weaken the chance for a two-state solution.

The two-state solution involves the creation of a Palestinian state in the Palestinian territories, with East Jerusalem as its seat of government, largely along the borders that existed prior to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Since taking office in late 2022, the incumbent government in Jerusalem has significantly increased the green-lighting of new settlements and started the legalisation process for previously illegal outposts, designating them as "suburbs" of established communities.

Ongoing Growth

The latest decision pushes the overall count of communities recognized over the past three years to sixty-nine, per the figures from Smotrich.

These approvals come a short time after the United Nations said that construction in settlements had hit its highest level since the year 2017.

The most recent group of approvals includes the rebuilding of two settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were dismantled almost two decades ago.

In a previous move, Israel approved twenty-two additional communities in the occupied West Bank - described as the most significant expansion in many years.

Furthermore, the government gave the go-ahead for blueprints in August to build more than 3,000 residences in the so-called E1 area between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim community, a project that had been frozen for many years amid intense international objection.

On that occasion, Smotrich said it would "end the concept of a Palestinian state."

Demographic Realities and Global Reactions

Approximately 700,000 settlers dwell in around one hundred and sixty communities in the occupied territories, as per data from the Israeli monitoring organization Peace Now. This is territory that the Palestinian people envision for a future sovereign nation.

Settlement expansion has provoked Arab states who have consistently contended it undermines hopes for a two-state solution.

It has also sparked concerns about the eventual incorporation of the occupied West Bank.

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

In a policy change, the United Kingdom - joined by other nations including Australia and Canada - acknowledged a Palestinian state, a notable although primarily ceremonial shift in government policy.

Israel opposed the move, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that a Palestinian state "is not going to occur."