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Israel's defense cabinet has formally approved the formalization of 19 fresh communities in the contested West Bank, representing a ongoing drive for community development.

Hardline Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and advocated for the step together with Defense Chief Israel Katz, asserted that the move was intended for blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state.

It is important to note that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are deemed illegal.

The announcement has elicited criticism from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has said that Israel's "relentless" settlement expansion exacerbates tensions, restricts Palestinian access to land, and threatens the prospects of a independent Palestine.

Rising Unrest and Political Fallout

Violence in the occupied West Bank has increased sharply since the war in the Gaza Strip started in the autumn of 2023, intensifying fears that the growth of communities could solidify the Israeli presence and damage the chance for a peaceful resolution based on two states.

The concept of two states refers to the creation of a State of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, largely along the lines that were in place prior to the 1967 Six-Day Arab-Israeli war.

Since coming to power in 2022, the current Israeli government has greatly accelerated the approval of fresh communities and initiated the process of legalization for previously illegal settler outposts, designating them as "extensions" of existing settlements.

Ongoing Growth

The latest approval takes the overall count of communities authorized over the preceding 36 months to sixty-nine, according to Smotrich.

These decisions come just days after the UN said that construction in settlements had reached its most intense pace since 2017.

The most recent group of authorizations encompasses the revival of a pair of settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were removed nearly in 2005.

In a previous move, Israel approved 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank - labeled as the largest wave of approvals in many years.

In a related development, the Israeli government gave the go-ahead for blueprints in August to erect more than three thousand housing units in the controversial E1 corridor between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement, a initiative that had been on hold for decades amid fierce international condemnation.

At that time, the Finance Minister remarked it would "bury the concept of a Palestinian state."

Population Facts and Global Reactions

An estimated seven hundred thousand settlers dwell in around one hundred and sixty communities in the occupied territories, as per data from the Israel-based anti-settlement group Peace Now. This is territory that Palestinians seek for a future independent state.

Settlement expansion has drawn ire from Arab nations who have steadfastly contended it erodes chances for a two-state solution.

It has furthermore sparked anxieties about the potential incorporation of the disputed territories.

Former American President Donald Trump had once admonished Israel about this step, stating to a publication that Israel would lose all its support from the US if it proceeded.

In a diplomatic shift, the UK - along with other nations such as Australia and Canada - recognised a Palestinian state, a notable although primarily ceremonial shift in foreign policy.

Israel opposed the move, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu asserting that a Palestinian state "is off the table."