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The nation's defense cabinet has formally approved the recognition of 19 new outposts in the disputed Palestinian territories, representing a ongoing push for territorial growth.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who proposed the move together with Defence Minister Israel Katz, stated that the approval was aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.

According to global statutes, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered in violation of international law.

The announcement has drawn criticism from Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has previously stated that Israel's "unceasing" settlement expansion heightens tensions, curtails Palestinians' use of land, and jeopardizes the viability of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Escalating Tensions and Political Repercussions

Unrest in the region has increased sharply since the conflict in the Gaza Strip began in the autumn of 2023, adding to fears that settlement expansion could entrench the Israeli presence and undermine the possibility for a two-state solution.

The two-state solution refers to the establishment of a Palestinian state in the Palestinian territories, with East Jerusalem as its capital, largely along the boundaries that were in place before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Since coming to power in late 2022, the present government in Jerusalem has greatly accelerated the approval of new settlements and started the formal recognition for previously illegal outposts, classifying them as "neighbourhoods" of established communities.

Sustained Growth

The latest decision pushes the overall count of communities approved over the past three years to sixty-nine, according to Smotrich.

These approvals come just days after the United Nations reported that settlement expansion had attained its most intense pace since the year 2017.

The newest group of approvals encompasses the re-establishment of a pair of settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were dismantled about in 2005.

Earlier this year, Israel approved 22 new settlements in the territories - labeled as the most significant expansion in decades.

In a related development, the Israeli government also approved projects last summer to build more than 3,000 homes in the so-called E1 area between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim community, a project that had been stalled for many years amid strong global condemnation.

Regarding that plan, Smotrich remarked it would "bury the idea of a Palestinian state."

Population Facts and International Reactions

Approximately seven hundred thousand Israeli settlers dwell in about 160 settlements in the occupied territories, according to the Israel-based anti-settlement group Peace Now. This is territory that Palestinians aspire to have for a prospective independent state.

This ongoing construction has angered Arab states who have repeatedly said it undermines prospects for a peaceful two-state outcome.

It has also sparked fears about the possible formal annexation of the occupied West Bank.

Former American President Donald Trump had previously warned Israel about annexation, stating to a publication that the country would forfeit all its support from the US if it happened.

Recently, the UK - along with other countries such as Australia and Canada - formally recognized a Palestinian state, a notable although largely symbolic shift in official stance.

The Israeli government was against this step, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that a sovereign Palestine "is off the table."