DayofPal—The Israeli government led by war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu is continuing to expand planning and construction of West Bank settlements
It cut budgets across various ministries while channeling increased funding toward settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to a new report.
The Israeli group Peace Now stated that the government has allocated substantial public and public funds to settlers, warning that these policies have contributed to the displacement of Palestinians from their land and homes.
A separate report by the National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements revealed that approximately 2.75 billion shekels have been earmarked for settlement development over the next five years.
Additional funds amounting to hundreds of millions of shekels are designated for establishing new settlements, legalizing outposts, and providing financial incentives to existing ones.
The report also detailed allocations of 550 million shekels to enhance security infrastructure in settlements, 100 million for bus protection, and 125 million for the construction of security roads.
Over the past two years, more than 222 kilometers of roads have reportedly been built in the West Bank, nearly half of them on privately owned Palestinian land.
Despite increasing military expenditures, reportedly raised by 42 billion shekels in March 2026 to cover costs related to the war with Iran, the government has maintained settlement funding while reducing civilian ministry budgets, increasing borrowing, and expanding the fiscal deficit.
Further initiatives include a land registration program in Area C, funded at approximately 244.1 million shekels, which the report warns could lead to the displacement of thousands of Palestinians.
Significant investments have also been directed toward settlement-based tourism projects in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, totaling around 949 million shekels since 2022.
The report additionally documented ongoing settler and military actions, including home demolitions, physical assaults, property theft, agricultural land destruction, and the establishment of new outposts.
It also noted growing pressure from religious and right-wing figures within Israel to prevent legal action against settlers.
According to data from Mu’ta Information Center, 1,385 violations by Israeli forces and settlers were recorded in the West Bank between March 27 and April 2, 2026, indicating a significant escalation on the ground.
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