DaysofPal- The Israeli occupation government is moving toward taking one of its largest steps toward settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank in decades, as officials prepare to approve a plan to finance the construction of 61 new settlements with a budget exceeding $350 million over several years, according to a report by Axios correspondent Barak Ravid.
The proposal goes beyond granting official recognition to the settlements. It would also fund the construction of temporary housing complexes, public buildings, infrastructure, road networks, and essential services even before formal planning procedures are completed. Critics say the move is designed to create new realities on the ground and strengthen Israel’s settlement presence across large areas of the occupied territory.
Strategic Areas Targeted
The planned expansion focuses on strategically important regions, including the Jordan Valley, the South Hebron Hills, and other locations intended to establish geographical continuity between existing settlements. Observers warn that such developments could further undermine prospects for a geographically contiguous and independent Palestinian state.
Commenting on the plan, settlement affairs expert Abdel Hadi Hanatsheh said the initiative should not be viewed as a limited expansion or the addition of new housing units. Rather, he argued, it forms part of a broader Israeli strategy that has been implemented in stages over many years.
Hanatsheh told the Palestinian Information Center that measures such as establishing settlement outposts and expanding existing settlements, which may appear minor in isolation, are components of a larger project aimed at reshaping the geographic and demographic reality of the West Bank.
Long-Term Vision for Expansion
According to Hanatsheh, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved a strategic plan several years ago aimed at creating approximately 100 new settlements across the West Bank as part of a long-term effort to expand Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories.
He stated that one of the central goals of the plan is to bring more than half a million additional settlers to the West Bank, a move that would significantly alter the demographic balance in favor of Israel while reducing the relative weight of the Palestinian population.
Land Seizure and Demographic Change
Hanatsheh further argued that the settlement projects are closely linked to efforts to seize as much Palestinian land as possible in order to facilitate expansion and connect settlements through integrated infrastructure and transportation networks.
He said the ultimate objective is to pave the way for the effective annexation of the West Bank by intensifying settlement construction and creating facts on the ground that would be difficult to reverse in the future.
Expanding Israeli Jurisdiction
The expert also stated that the Israeli occupation government is seeking to gradually extend Israeli law to the occupied West Bank through the continued growth of settlements and their increasing integration with Israeli state institutions.
According to Hanatsheh, extensive master plans have already been prepared for most settlements in the West Bank, outlining multiple phases of future expansion at the expense of Palestinian land.
He further said that implementation of these plans involves not only government institutions but also settler groups that carry out attacks against Palestinians, including efforts to displace residents, seize property, and exert pressure on local communities.
Hanatsheh noted that close cooperation exists between the Israeli government and settler groups, which receive various forms of support, including security protection, funding, and weapons, contributing to a continued rise in attacks against Palestinians.
From Planning to Implementation
Observers view the new proposal as a shift from the planning stage to active implementation. The development comes only days after the Israeli government reportedly allocated around $35 million for planning and regulatory work related to the same settlements, reflecting an accelerated pace of settlement expansion.
If approved, the initiative would represent one of the largest settlement expansion projects in the West Bank in recent years. Palestinian and international observers have warned that such a move could have significant consequences for the future of Palestinian territories and further complicate efforts to achieve a negotiated political settlement to the conflict.
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