Israel approves plan to establish 13 new settlements in occupied West Bank

Palestinian officials warn against the implications of the plan, saying it would further isolate East Jerusalem.Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved a plan to establish 13 new settlements in the central occupied West Bank, a move Palestinian officials say will further fragment the territory and isolate East Jerusalem from its surrounding Palestinian communities.Israel’s Channel 7 reported that the cabinet approved the construction of the illegal settlements on Thursday in the Binyamin regional area, one of the largest settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Palestine weekly: Israel accelerates land grabs in Gaza, West Banklist 2 of 3Billions flow between EU institutions and Israel, despite Gaza genocidelist 3 of 3Gaza war’s 1,000 days: 90% of strip ‘destroyed’, 80% ‘seized’ by Israelend of listIt is situated along Route 60, the central north-south artery running through the West Bank that links Palestinian cities, including Nablus, Ramallah, and Bethlehem, while also connecting major Israeli settlements.The first phase is expected to begin in the coming months and will include the establishment of four to six new settlements, backed by investments worth millions of shekels, Palestine’s Jerusalem governorate said.Several existing pastoral outposts are also slated for formal legalisation, enabling them to receive government funding and infrastructure, it added.The plan focuses on two main corridors: areas northwest of Jerusalem and west of Ramallah along Route 60, and territory extending eastward towards the Jordan Valley.The Jerusalem governorate said the scheme is designed to link settlement blocs, tighten Israeli control over strategic hilltops and restrict Palestinian territorial continuity.“The plan seeks to create new geographical realities on the ground,” the governorate added in a statement, warning that the expansion would “undermine the prospects of establishing a geographically contiguous Palestinian state.”