Israel approves 12,000 new homes in West Bank settlements
The package also includes 8 billion shekel for settlement infrastructure, adding a further obstacle to the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
Israel approved construction of 12,000 new housing units in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a move Hamas condemned as an expansion of occupation over Palestinian territory. The deal was said to involve the Israeli government and the Civil Administration for Judea and Samaria, and to include an allocation of 8 billion shekel for settlement infrastructure. Republika reported that Israel’s security cabinet also approved a new settlement near Sanur in northern West Bank. Israel Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that if built, it would be the 104th settlement approved since Benjamin Netanyahu's government took office in 2022. Palestinians have long viewed settlement expansion as a major obstacle to the peace process, although the UN Security Council in Resolution 2334 in 2016 called on Israel to halt it.