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Israel's security cabinet has given its endorsement to the recognition of nineteen fresh communities in the occupied West Bank, marking a continued campaign for community development.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who proposed the move together with Defense Chief Israel Katz, stated that the move was about blocking the formation of a sovereign Palestine.

Under international law, Jewish communities in the disputed territories are considered in violation of international law.

The move has drawn criticism from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has said that Israel's "persistent" settlement expansion fuels frictions, limits Palestinians' use of territory, and jeopardizes the viability of a sovereign Palestine.

Escalating Tensions and Political Repercussions

Clashes in the region has escalated since the hostilities in the Gaza Strip began in the autumn of 2023, intensifying fears that settlement expansion could deepen the Israeli presence and damage the prospects for a two-state solution.

The concept of two states envisions the establishment of a State of Palestine in the Palestinian territories, with East Jerusalem as its seat of government, roughly along the lines that were in place before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Since coming to power in late 2022, the present government in Jerusalem has ramped up the approval of fresh communities and begun the legalisation process for unauthorised outposts, recognising them as "suburbs" of established settlements.

A Pattern of Growth

The latest decision pushes the total number of settlements recognized over the past three years to 69, per the figures from Smotrich.

These approvals are announced a short time after the United Nations stated that construction in settlements had hit its peak since 2017.

The most recent round of approvals features the revival of two settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were evacuated almost 20 years ago.

Earlier this year, Israel approved 22 new settlements in the territories - what was the most significant wave of approvals in many years.

Additionally, the Israeli government gave the go-ahead for plans last summer to construct more than three thousand residences in the so-called E1 area between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim community, a plan that had been on hold for decades amid fierce international objection.

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

Population Realities and International Response

Approximately seven hundred thousand settlers live in approximately one hundred and sixty settlements in the occupied territories, according to the Israeli monitoring organization Peace Now. This is territory that Palestinians seek for a future independent state.

This ongoing construction has provoked Arab states who have steadfastly argued it undermines prospects for a peaceful two-state outcome.

It has furthermore fueled anxieties about the eventual formal annexation of the disputed territories.

Former US President Donald Trump had previously admonished the Israeli leadership about annexation, stating to a publication that the country would lose its backing from the US if it occurred.

Recently, the UK - along with other countries including Australia and Canada - recognised a State of Palestine, a major although primarily ceremonial shift in government policy.

The Israeli government was against this recognition, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu saying that a Palestinian state "is off the table."