Canada and a coalition of 13 other nations jointly criticized the Israeli security cabinet’s endorsement of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday. The collective statement highlighted that such independent actions, part of a broader escalation of settlement policies in the West Bank, not only breach international law but also pose a risk of escalating instability.
Recently, Israel’s cabinet unveiled the approval of 19 additional settlements, bringing the total number of new settlements in recent years to 69, as stated by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a proponent of West Bank expansion. This move signifies a nearly 50% rise in West Bank settlements during the current far-right government’s term, with the count escalating from 141 in 2022 to 210, according to Peace Now, an organization monitoring settlement activities.
Settlements are widely recognized as unlawful under international regulations. The cabinet’s endorsement, concealed until Sunday, was revealed by Smotrich’s office on December 11. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand expressed disapproval of the news on X, emphasizing that the continuous expansion of settlements violates international law and jeopardizes the 20 Point Peace Plan, hindering the prospects of a two-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians coexist peacefully.
These developments unfold amidst U.S. efforts to push Israel and Hamas towards the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire brokered by the U.S., effective since October 10. The ceasefire plan aims to establish a potential pathway to a Palestinian state, a goal impeded by ongoing settlement activities.
The recent cabinet decision also involved retroactively legalizing certain previously established settlement outposts or neighborhoods within existing settlements, as well as establishing settlements on lands evacuated by Palestinians, disclosed Israel’s Finance Ministry. Settlements can vary in size, ranging from individual residences to high-rise complexes.
Notably, two of the settlements granted legal status in the latest approval, Kadim and Ganim, were among the four West Bank settlements dismantled in 2005 during Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Following the government’s repeal of a 2005 evacuation act in March 2023, there have been multiple attempts to resettle these areas, previously off-limits to Israelis.