Israel’s Smotrich declares ‘revolution’ in West Bank settlement expansion

Lead

Israel is pressing ahead with a sweeping expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank and northern Gaza, drawing sharp criticism from Palestinian officials and rights groups. Defence Minister Israel Katz announced plans for three Nahal outposts in northern Gaza, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared a “revolution in settlement” expansion that he said would extend beyond the West Bank into the Negev and Galilee, as reported by Al Jazeera and The Guardian.

The moves come as Israel’s Security Cabinet approved 13 new settlements in the central West Bank, a plan that Palestinian officials say will further fragment the territory and isolate East Jerusalem from its surrounding Palestinian communities, according to Al Jazeera. The expansion has been accompanied by a record number of military orders reshaping settlement boundaries, according to data from the Israeli human rights group Bimkom, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting on the settlement push varies in focus and emphasis across the outlets whose coverage was examined. Al Jazeera’s coverage concentrated on the Security Cabinet’s approval of 13 new settlements in the central West Bank, highlighting warnings from Palestinian officials about the impact on East Jerusalem and the prospects for a contiguous Palestinian state. The Guardian’s report centered on the announcement by defence and finance ministers of plans for three settlements in Gaza and more than $400m in funding for West Bank construction, also noting the Israeli military commander’s praise for violent outposts as his “security partners.” The Jerusalem Post, meanwhile, emphasized data from Bimkom showing the scale of settlement expansion through administrative measures, reporting that the government issued 114 military orders since October 2023, roughly the same number as over the previous 22 years combined.

Key Claims

• Government announcements: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he intends to establish three Nahal outposts in northern Gaza, describing them as military entities that combine farming with an armed presence, as reported by Al Jazeera and The Guardian. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced 1.3bn shekels (£318m) in funding for dozens of new settlements in the West Bank, according to The Guardian.

• Cabinet approval: The Israeli Security Cabinet approved a plan to establish 13 new settlements in the central occupied West Bank, in the Binyamin regional area, with the first phase expected to begin in the coming months, including four to six new settlements, as reported by Al Jazeera. Palestinian officials were quoted as saying the plan would further isolate East Jerusalem and undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

• Military orders and land expansion: According to a June study from Bimkom, Israeli officials issued 114 military orders establishing, expanding, or dividing settlement jurisdiction areas since October 2023, adding approximately 6,200 acres to settlement municipal jurisdictions and leading to 53 new settlements, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. The orders, which are administrative measures, have been used alongside physical construction in Area C of the West Bank.

• Settlement outposts trend: The number of new settlement outposts has increased significantly in recent years, with 32 established in 2023 and 62 in 2024, backed by 75 million shekels ($20m) in government funding, according to Al Jazeera. In 2025, the number reached a record 86 outposts.

• Government funding: The Israeli government allocated $400m to expand construction in the occupied West Bank, as reported by The Guardian. Al Jazeera reported that the government has allocated millions of shekels to fund settlement expansion.

• Violence and demolitions: There has been a surge in settler attacks on Palestinian villages and agricultural land in the West Bank, and the Israeli state has ramped up demolition of Palestinian homes, as reported by Al Jazeera. The Guardian quoted the UN human rights office for Palestine as saying “settler violence is state violence,” in a report detailing how Israel used settlers to lead annexation efforts.

Perspectives

Israeli government view: Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Nahal outposts would enhance security, though execution would have to be done “in the right way, at the right timing, while coordinating,” as reported by Al Jazeera. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared a “revolution in settlement” expansion, saying it would extend beyond the West Bank. Israeli officials say the new settlements in the West Bank are situated in strategically critical parts to entrench control over the territory.

Palestinian view: Palestinian officials warned that the expansion will further isolate East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank, undermining any prospect of a two-state solution, as reported by Al Jazeera. The Jerusalem governorate said the plan seeks to create new geographical realities on the ground and would fragment the territory.

Rights group view: Bimkom, an Israeli human rights organization, described settlement jurisdiction orders as “‘legal’ land grabs that happen without any public debate, court oversight, or Palestinian recourse,” as reported by the Jerusalem Post. The UN human rights office for Palestine said in a report that settler violence is state violence, according to The Guardian.