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Israel's top security body has voted to recognize the formalization of nineteen new settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, marking a ongoing drive for territorial growth.

Hardline Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who put forward the measure in concert with Defense Chief Israel Katz, asserted that the decision was about thwarting the creation of a Palestinian state.

Under international law, Jewish communities in the disputed territories are deemed illegal.

The decision has drawn criticism from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has previously stated that Israel's "persistent" growth of communities fuels tensions, restricts Palestinian access to territory, and undermines the viability of a independent Palestinian state.

Rising Unrest and Political Fallout

Unrest in the occupied West Bank has escalated since the hostilities in Gaza began in October 2023, intensifying fears that settlement expansion could entrench the Israeli presence and undermine the chance for a peaceful resolution based on two states.

The concept of two states refers to the establishment of a State of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with Jerusalem's eastern sector as its seat of government, largely along the borders that were in place before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Upon assuming leadership in late 2022, the present government in Jerusalem has significantly increased the approval of new settlements and begun the formal recognition for informal outposts, recognising them as "extensions" of established settlements.

Sustained Expansion

The most recent decision takes the cumulative figure of settlements recognized over the preceding 36 months to sixty-nine, as stated by Smotrich.

These approvals arrive just days after the UN stated that construction in settlements had attained its peak since 2017.

The most recent batch of approvals encompasses the revival of a pair of communities — Ganim and Kadim — which were evacuated nearly two decades ago.

In a previous move, Israel authorized 22 additional settlements in the territories - labeled as the biggest wave of approvals in decades.

Furthermore, the government also approved blueprints in August to build in excess of 3,000 housing units in the so-called E1 corridor between the capital and the Maale Adumim community, a plan that had been on hold for decades amid fierce global opposition.

On that occasion, the Finance Minister stated it would "end the concept of a Palestinian state."

Demographic Realities and International Response

Roughly 700,000 settlers dwell in approximately 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the Israel-based monitoring organization Peace Now. This is land that the Palestinian people seek for a future sovereign nation.

Settlement expansion has drawn ire from Arab states who have steadfastly said it erodes prospects for a peaceful two-state outcome.

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

Ex- American President Donald Trump had once warned the Israeli leadership about annexation, telling a publication that Israel would forfeit all its support from the United States if it happened.

In a policy change, the UK - along with other countries including Australia and Canada - recognised a State of Palestine, a notable although largely symbolic adjustment in foreign policy.

Israel strongly rejected this recognition, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu asserting that a Palestinian state "will not happen."