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Israel's top security body has given its endorsement to the formalization of 19 new settlements in the contested West Bank, marking a sustained drive for territorial growth.

Hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and put forward the step in concert with Defense Chief Israel Katz, declared that the move was about blocking the creation of a sovereign Palestine.

According to global statutes, Jewish communities in the disputed territories are viewed as in violation of international law.

The move has elicited censure from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has previously stated that Israel's "persistent" growth of communities heightens frictions, limits Palestinian use of territory, and threatens the viability of a independent Palestine.

Increased Tensions and Diplomatic Repercussions

Violence in the region has escalated since the hostilities in the Gaza Strip erupted in October 2023, intensifying apprehensions that the growth of communities could entrench the Israeli presence and damage the chance for a two-state solution.

The two-state solution refers to the creation of a State of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its seat of government, roughly along the boundaries that existed before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Since coming to power in late 2022, the present Israeli government has ramped up the authorization of fresh communities and started the legalisation process for unauthorised outposts, classifying them as "suburbs" of established settlements.

A Pattern of Growth

The latest approval pushes the total number of communities authorized over the past three years to 69, per the figures from Smotrich.

These decisions are announced only a few days after the UN reported that construction in settlements had hit its highest level since 2017.

The newest round of approvals includes the rebuilding of two communities — Ganim and Kadim — which were removed almost in 2005.

Previously, the Israeli government approved 22 additional settlements in the territories - described as the biggest expansion in many years.

Furthermore, the Israeli government gave the go-ahead for projects last summer to build over three thousand residences in the so-called E1 project between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim community, a project that had been on hold for many years amid fierce global opposition.

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

Population Facts and International Response

Roughly 700,000 Israeli settlers reside in around 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as per data from the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now. This is land that the Palestinian people seek for a prospective independent state.

Settlement expansion has drawn ire from Arab states who have repeatedly said it undermines hopes for a two-state solution.

It has furthermore raised fears about the eventual formal annexation of the disputed territories.

Ex- American President Donald Trump had previously admonished the Israeli leadership about this step, stating to TIME magazine that the country would forfeit all its support from the US if it proceeded.

In a policy change, the United Kingdom - together with other nations including Australia and Canada - formally recognized a State of Palestine, a significant although largely symbolic change in official stance.

The Israeli government strongly rejected this step, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that a Palestinian state "will not happen."