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The nation's defense cabinet has formally approved the formalization of 19 fresh communities in the occupied Palestinian territories, representing a ongoing campaign for settlement expansion.

Hardline Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and put forward the step alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz, declared that the decision was aimed at thwarting the formation of a Palestinian state.

It is important to note that Jewish communities in the disputed territories are viewed as unlawful.

The move has sparked censure from Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has previously stated that Israel's "persistent" settlement expansion fuels tensions, restricts Palestinian access to territory, and threatens the viability of a sovereign Palestine.

Increased Tensions and Diplomatic Repercussions

Clashes in the region has escalated since the war in the Gaza Strip started in the autumn of 2023, intensifying apprehensions that settlement expansion could solidify Israel's occupation and damage the possibility for a peaceful resolution based on two states.

The concept of two states refers to the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its seat of government, roughly along the borders that were in place before the 1967 Middle East war.

Upon assuming leadership in late 2022, the incumbent government in Jerusalem has ramped up the authorization of fresh communities and begun the formal recognition for unauthorised outposts, recognising them as "suburbs" of established settlements.

Sustained Growth

The latest approval brings the overall count of settlements recognized over the past three years to 69, according to Minister Smotrich.

These decisions arrive a short time after the UN said that construction in settlements had hit its peak since the year 2017.

The latest batch of approvals includes the re-establishment of two communities — Ganim and Kadim — which were evacuated about two decades ago.

Previously, Israel approved twenty-two additional communities in the occupied West Bank - described as the largest expansion in many years.

Furthermore, the Israeli government also approved blueprints last summer to build in excess of 3,000 residences in the so-called E1 area between the capital and the Maale Adumim settlement, a plan that had been frozen for many years amid intense foreign objection.

Regarding that plan, the Finance Minister said it would "put to rest the concept of a Palestinian state."

Demographic Realities and Global Response

Roughly 700,000 settlers live in about one hundred and sixty communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as per data from the Israeli monitoring organization Peace Now. This is land that Palestinians seek for a prospective sovereign nation.

Settlement expansion has angered Arab nations who have repeatedly argued it erodes chances for a two-state solution.

It has furthermore sparked anxieties about the eventual incorporation of the disputed territories.

Former American President Donald Trump had previously admonished Israel about such a move, stating to a publication that the country would forfeit all its support from the US if it happened.

In a policy change, the UK - joined by other nations such as Australia and Canada - formally recognized a State of Palestine, a major although largely symbolic adjustment in foreign policy.

Israel strongly rejected the move, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu saying that a sovereign Palestine "will not happen."