Israel said that it would establish 22 new colonies in the occupation West BankIncluding the legalization of the outposts already built without authorization from the government, after a vote of the security firm held in secret last week.
Israel occupied the West Bank, the capture of Jordan, in the 1967 six -day war. Since then, successive governments have tried to definitively cement Israeli Control on earthPartly by declaring the expanses as “lands of state”, which prevents private Palestinian property.
The request would have been presented by the far right Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, and the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in the regulation of the Kedumim West Bank, which is considered illegal under international law.
Katz said that the settlement decision “strengthens our grip on Judea and Samaria”, using the Biblical term for the West Bank, “anchors our historical law in the country of Israel and constitutes an overwhelming response to Palestinian terrorism”.
He added that it was also “a strategic decision that prevents the creation of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel”.
A spokesperson for the Israeli Human Rights group B’tselem said: “Israel continues to promote Jewish supremacy through the flight of Palestinian land and ethnic cleaning of the West Bank. The Israeli government works openly and obvious to destroy the Palestinian people, and any chance for a normal future for the living people between the Jordanian river and the sea. ”.
The spokesman added: “The international community allows Israel’s crimes while standing out while millions of Palestinians are subject to this racist and brutal regime of the Israeli government.”
The government intends to use the 22 colonies to strengthen the presence of Israel around Route 443, which links Jerusalem and Tel Aviv via the Modine and was described by Israel Ganz, the head of the Yesha council of the Jewish municipalities of the West West Bank, as “the most important decision since 1967”.
The Minister said on X: “We have made a historic decision for the development of the colonies: 22 new communities in Judea and Samaria, renewing the northern Samaria colony and strengthening the eastern axis of the State of Israel.”
Last July, Israel approved the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in more than three decades, according to to a published report By Peace Now, an Israeli antissetting dog.
At the time, the Israeli government approved the creation of 12.7 km2 (almost 5 miles m²) of land in the Jordan valley, indicating that it was “the greatest credit approved since the 1993 Oslo AgreementsReferring to the beginning of the peace process.
In a Recording disclosed captured by peace now last year, Smotrich, at a conference for his national religious religious religious Zionism, revealed that land confiscations in 2024 have exceeded the averages of previous years of ten times.
He said: “This thing is mega-strategic and we invest a lot. This is something that will dramatically change the card.”
In May 2023, Smotrich, who declared that his “mission of life was to thwart the creation of a Palestinian state,” asked ministries of the Israeli government Prepare for 500,000 additional Israeli settlers To move into occupied West Bank.
June 20, The goalkeeper revealed How the Israeli army had discreetly submitted significant legal powers in the West Bank to pro-settler officials working for Smotrich.
An order published by the Israeli Defense Forces on its website in May 2024 transfers dozens of statutes to civil administration – the Israeli body governing in the West Bank – soldiers to leaders led by Smotrich to the Ministry of Defense.
In March, a published declaration Through peace, said that between January 1 and March 19, 10,503 housing units were promoted, exceeding 9,971 approved units throughout 2024.
The approval of the new colonies by the far -right government of Benjamin Netanyahu represents a new implementation of its long -standing objective to annex the occupied Palestinian territory – an objective reinforced by the Trump administration.
Mike Huckabee, Nominated like Trump’s new ambassador to Israelpointed out to support Israeli complaints on the West Bank in an interview last year. He said: “When people use the term” busy “, I say:” Yes, Israel occupies the earth, but it is the occupation of a land that God gave them 3,500 years ago. It is their land. “”
The right -wing settlers described the senior officials of the new Trump administration, who canceled the sanctions imposed on the violent groups of Israeli settlers, as a dream team that would offer a “Special opportunity” Permanently ending any perspective of a Palestinian state.
Associated Press contributed to this report
