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Israel's defense cabinet has formally approved the establishment of 19 additional settlements in the contested Palestinian territories, marking a sustained drive for territorial growth.

Hardline Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who put forward the move together with Defense Chief Israel Katz, asserted that the approval was about preventing the formation of a sovereign Palestine.

Under international law, Jewish communities in the occupied West Bank are deemed unlawful.

The move has elicited criticism from Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has previously stated that Israel's "unceasing" growth of communities exacerbates frictions, curtails Palestinians' use of territory, and threatens the prospects of a sovereign Palestine.

Increased Unrest and Diplomatic Repercussions

Unrest in the region has increased sharply since the conflict in Gaza began in October 2023, adding to apprehensions that settlement expansion could solidify Israel's occupation and undermine the possibility for a peaceful resolution based on two states.

The concept of two states refers to the establishment of a State of Palestine in the Palestinian territories, with Jerusalem's eastern sector as its seat of government, broadly along the borders that were in place prior to the 1967 Six-Day Arab-Israeli war.

Since coming to power in 2022, the incumbent government in Jerusalem has ramped up the green-lighting of fresh communities and begun the formal recognition for informal settler outposts, designating them as "extensions" of existing communities.

Sustained Expansion

The most recent decision brings the overall count of settlements recognized over the last three years to sixty-nine, as stated by Minister Smotrich.

These approvals arrive a short time after the United Nations said that construction in settlements had hit its highest level since the year 2017.

The newest group of approvals encompasses the re-establishment of a pair of settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were removed about two decades ago.

In a previous move, the Israeli government gave the nod to twenty-two new settlements in the occupied West Bank - labeled as the biggest expansion in many years.

Additionally, the Israeli government sanctioned blueprints in August to erect over 3,000 homes in the controversial E1 area between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim community, a initiative that had been on hold for many years amid fierce foreign opposition.

Regarding that plan, the Finance Minister said it would "bury the idea of a Palestinian state."

Population Realities and Global Response

Roughly seven hundred thousand settlers dwell in about one hundred and sixty communities in the occupied territories, according to the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now. This is territory that Palestinians seek for a future sovereign nation.

Settlement expansion has angered Arab states who have steadfastly said it harms hopes for a two-state solution.

It has furthermore raised fears about the eventual annexing of the disputed territories.

Ex- US President Donald Trump had once warned the Israeli leadership about annexation, stating to a publication that the country would forfeit its backing from the United States if it happened.

In a policy change, the UK - along with other countries such as Australia and Canada - acknowledged a State of Palestine, a major although primarily ceremonial adjustment in foreign policy.

The Israeli government opposed this step, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu asserting that a sovereign Palestine "is off the table."