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The nation's top security body has voted to recognize the establishment of nineteen additional outposts in the contested Palestinian territories, marking a sustained drive for territorial growth.

Hardline Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who proposed the move in concert with Defense Chief Israel Katz, stated that the move was about preventing the formation of a Palestinian state.

It is important to note that Jewish communities in the occupied West Bank are considered unlawful.

The move has elicited criticism from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has commented that Israel's "unceasing" settlement expansion heightens tensions, curtails Palestinian use of territory, and threatens the prospects of a sovereign Palestine.

Increased Unrest and Diplomatic Fallout

Unrest in the occupied West Bank has escalated since the war in Gaza erupted in the autumn of 2023, further heightening apprehensions that settlement expansion could solidify Israel's occupation and damage the chance for a peaceful resolution based on two states.

The concept of two states refers to the formation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, roughly along the lines that existed prior to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Since coming to power in late 2022, the current government in Jerusalem has significantly increased the approval of fresh communities and started the legalisation process for informal settler outposts, classifying them as "neighbourhoods" of established settlements.

Ongoing Expansion

The most recent approval pushes the cumulative figure of communities approved over the preceding 36 months to sixty-nine, per the figures from Smotrich.

These decisions come a short time after the UN stated that settlement expansion had reached its peak since 2017.

The newest round of authorizations includes the revival of a pair of settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were removed almost 20 years ago.

Earlier this year, Israel approved twenty-two new settlements in the occupied West Bank - described as the largest wave of approvals in many years.

Additionally, the government sanctioned blueprints in August to erect more than 3,000 residences in the controversial E1 corridor between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim community, a initiative that had been on hold for many years amid fierce international objection.

Regarding that plan, Smotrich said it would "put to rest the notion of a Palestinian state."

Population Realities and International Response

An estimated 700,000 Israeli settlers reside in approximately 160 communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as per data from the Israeli monitoring organization Peace Now. This is territory that Palestinians aspire to have for a prospective sovereign nation.

This ongoing construction has drawn ire from Arab nations who have consistently said it harms chances for a peaceful two-state outcome.

It has furthermore fueled fears about the potential formal annexation of the occupied West Bank.

Former US President Donald Trump had previously warned Israel about such a move, stating to a publication that the country would lose its backing from the United States if it happened.

In a policy change, the United Kingdom - joined by other nations including Australia and Canada - recognised a State of Palestine, a notable although largely symbolic change in government policy.

Israel was against this recognition, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu asserting that a sovereign Palestine "will not happen."