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Israel's defense cabinet has formally approved the formalization of 19 fresh settlements in the contested Palestinian territories, marking a continued campaign for settlement expansion.

Far-right Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and proposed the move alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz, declared that the move was intended for blocking the formation of a Palestinian state.

Under international law, Israeli settlements in the disputed territories are deemed illegal.

The move has elicited criticism from Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has said that Israel's "unceasing" growth of communities heightens tensions, limits Palestinian access to territory, and jeopardizes the viability of a independent Palestine.

Escalating Tensions and Diplomatic Fallout

Unrest in the occupied West Bank has escalated since the hostilities in Gaza began in October 2023, intensifying concerns that the growth of communities could entrench the Israeli presence and damage the chance for a peaceful resolution based on two states.

The concept of two states 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 lines that were in place before the 1967 Six-Day Arab-Israeli war.

Since taking office in late 2022, the current government in Jerusalem has ramped up the approval of new settlements and initiated the formal recognition for informal settler outposts, classifying them as "suburbs" of established communities.

Sustained Growth

The latest approval pushes the overall count of settlements recognized over the past three years to sixty-nine, as stated by Smotrich.

These decisions are announced a short time after the United Nations reported that settlement expansion had attained its most intense pace since 2017.

The latest group of approvals features the rebuilding of two settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were evacuated about in 2005.

In a previous move, Israel gave the nod to 22 additional settlements in the territories - described as the largest expansion in decades.

Additionally, the Israeli government gave the go-ahead for blueprints in August to build over three thousand housing units in the so-called E1 area between the capital and the Maale Adumim settlement, a project that had been frozen for decades amid strong foreign objection.

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

Population Realities and International Response

Roughly seven hundred thousand Israeli settlers live in around 160 communities in the occupied territories, according to the Israel-based monitoring organization Peace Now. This is territory that the Palestinian people envision for a future independent state.

Settlement expansion has provoked neighboring countries who have consistently contended it erodes prospects for a peaceful two-state outcome.

It has furthermore raised anxieties about the potential incorporation of the occupied West Bank.

Ex- American President Donald Trump had previously warned Israel about this step, telling TIME magazine that Israel would lose its backing from the United States if it proceeded.

Recently, the UK - along with other countries such as Australia and Canada - acknowledged a State of Palestine, a notable although primarily ceremonial shift in official stance.

The Israeli government opposed this recognition, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that a Palestinian state "is off the table."