The occupation intends to establish a thousand new settlement units in the West Bank

The Israeli occupation government intends to advance a plan to establish about a thousand new settlement units in the occupied West Bank, as part of expanding the settlements of "Kida" and "Hadat" in the Shilo area. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the allocation of about 1,665 dunams for the two settlements, describing the plan as "historic" within what he called the "settlement revolution." The step comes amid escalating settlement activity and land confiscation, alongside a move by Western countries to impose restrictions on settlement trade.

The Israeli occupation government intends to push forward with the establishment of about a thousand new settlement units in the occupied West Bank, as part of a plan to expand the settlements of "Kida" and "Hadat," built on Palestinian lands in the "Shilo" area in the central West Bank. Occupation Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that about 1,665 dunams have been allocated for the two settlements, a step that paves the way for the establishment of new settlement units. Smotrich described the plan as "historic," placing it within what he called the "settlement revolution," and affirmed that the occupation government will continue to push plans to expand settlements and legalize outposts in the West Bank. The step comes amid escalating settlement activity, through land confiscation, expansion of existing settlements, and establishment of new outposts, imposing new realities on the ground and narrowing the space for Palestinian existence. Settlement expansion also threatens to fragment Palestinian areas and enhance control over vast areas of land, alongside escalating settler attacks. The announcement comes a day after a move by 12 Western countries to impose restrictions on trade in settlement goods, as the occupation government continues to expand its settlement project despite international criticism and pressure.