Israeli government considers massive funding to expand West Bank settlements
Israel has allocated the first tranche of a planned $388 million for settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, with the larger portion postponed. International criticism and sanctions are mounting.
The Israeli government has allocated 152 million shekels ($51 million) as the first tranche of an expected $388 million in new funds for settlement construction in the occupied West Bank. The anti-settlement group Peace Now reported on Thursday that the funds are to prepare construction plans for 69 illegal settlements and outposts.
The cabinet later postponed a decision on a 1-billion-shekel ($338 million) allocation. If approved, it would mark one of the largest expansions of illegal Israeli settlements in decades. Under the yet-to-be-approved plan, construction, including infrastructure and public buildings, would begin despite necessary planning protocols not being carried out in accordance with Israeli law.
Peace Now accused the government of intending to bypass planning and construction regulations. In a statement, the group said that October 7 proved the right-wing approach has failed and called for a political solution and diplomatic agreement instead.
Israel has faced growing condemnation for expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law. On Tuesday, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France and Norway imposed sanctions on networks involved in financing and carrying out settler violence against Palestinians.
According to Peace Now, the current Israeli government has approved 103 settlements since taking office in December 2022, including 51 entirely new ones. On Wednesday, Amnesty International published a report accusing the Israeli government of playing a central role in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the West Bank.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that at least 117 villages in the West Bank have been subject to complete or partial displacement due to settler attacks. Additionally, critics have condemned the upcoming "Great Israeli Real Estate Event" in London, which promotes property sales in the occupied West Bank, in violation of international law.
