Israel approves 19 new West Bank settlements in major annexation push

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Elis GjevoriDecember 12, 2025 at 09:54 PM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

In December 2025, Israel's security cabinet approved a plan to formalize 19 settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move condemned by Palestinian officials as accelerating annexation. The decision also revives two outposts dismantled in 2005. Israeli media reports suggest the plan was coordinated with the US and pushed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Palestinian officials warn the move deepens land theft and demographic engineering, while Hamas called it a dangerous escalation and urged international action. Settlement expansion is illegal under international law but widely accepted in Israeli politics. The approved plan intensifies concerns about the future of the West Bank.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Hamas ×240% Mu'ayyad Sha'ban 50% Palestine ×260% West Bank ×570% Israel ×680%

Keywords

west bank settlements 100% annexation 90% israeli-palestinian conflict 80% occupied west bank 70% illegal settlements 60% demographic engineering 50% land theft 50% colonial behaviour 40% settlement expansion 40%