Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved a plan to establish 13 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move Palestinian officials say will further divide Palestinian territory and weaken prospects for a two-state solution.
The new settlements will be built in the Binyamin regional area along Route 60, a major road linking key Palestinian cities and Israeli settlements. The first phase, expected to begin in the coming months, includes the construction of four to six settlements, while several existing outposts will also be legalised and made eligible for government funding and infrastructure.
Palestinian authorities say the expansion aims to strengthen Israeli control over strategic areas, connect major settlement blocs and further isolate East Jerusalem from surrounding Palestinian communities.
The decision comes amid a sharp increase in settlement activity. According to the Palestinian Forum for Israeli Studies (MADAR), the number of new settlement outposts rose from an average of eight annually between 2012 and 2022 to 86 in 2025. Israeli government funding for settlement outposts has also increased significantly in recent years.
More than 700,000 Israeli settlers currently live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The international community considers Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes.
