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The nation's defense cabinet has voted to recognize the formalization of nineteen fresh settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, marking a continued push for territorial growth.

Hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who advocated for the measure alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz, declared that the move was about preventing the formation of a sovereign Palestine.

Under international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are viewed as unlawful.

The move has sparked condemnation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has previously stated that Israel's "persistent" settlement expansion fuels tensions, limits Palestinians' access to land, and undermines the viability of a independent Palestine.

Increased Tensions and Political Repercussions

Violence in the region has surged since the war in the Gaza Strip erupted in October 2023, further heightening fears that the growth of communities could deepen the Israeli presence and weaken the prospects for a two-state solution.

The two-state solution involves the formation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with Jerusalem's eastern sector as its seat of government, largely along the boundaries that existed prior to the 1967 Six-Day Arab-Israeli war.

Since coming to power in 2022, the current government in Jerusalem has ramped up the green-lighting of fresh communities and initiated the formal recognition for previously illegal outposts, designating them as "neighbourhoods" of established communities.

A Pattern of Expansion

The latest decision takes the cumulative figure of settlements recognized over the last three years to sixty-nine, as stated by the Finance Minister.

These authorizations are announced only a few days after the UN reported that settlement expansion had hit its highest level since 2017.

The latest group of approvals encompasses the revival of two communities — Ganim and Kadim — which were removed nearly 20 years ago.

Previously, Israel approved twenty-two additional settlements in the occupied West Bank - labeled as the largest wave of approvals in decades.

Additionally, the Israeli government gave the go-ahead for blueprints last summer to erect over three thousand residences in the controversial E1 corridor between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim community, a plan that had been frozen for many years amid intense international condemnation.

On that occasion, the Finance Minister said it would "bury the notion of a Palestinian state."

Demographic Realities and International Reactions

Approximately 700,000 settlers reside in around one hundred and sixty communities in the occupied territories, according to the Israel-based anti-settlement group Peace Now. This is territory that Palestinians aspire to have for a future sovereign nation.

Settlement expansion has drawn ire from Arab nations who have repeatedly argued it undermines hopes for a peaceful two-state outcome.

It has also raised concerns about the potential incorporation of the disputed territories.

Former American President Donald Trump had once cautioned the Israeli leadership about annexation, telling TIME magazine that the country would lose its backing from the United States if it proceeded.

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

Israel opposed this step, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu saying that a Palestinian state "will not happen."