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Israel's defense cabinet has voted to recognize the formalization of nineteen additional communities in the disputed West Bank, signaling a ongoing drive for community development.

Hardline Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and proposed the move together with Defence Minister Israel Katz, stated that the move was aimed at thwarting the creation of a sovereign Palestine.

It is important to note that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are deemed illegal.

The decision has drawn censure from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has commented that Israel's "persistent" growth of communities fuels frictions, limits Palestinian use of land, and undermines the feasibility of a sovereign Palestine.

Escalating Tensions and Diplomatic Fallout

Violence in the occupied West Bank has increased sharply since the conflict in Gaza erupted in the autumn of 2023, intensifying fears that the growth of communities could solidify the Israeli presence and weaken the possibility for a two-state solution.

The concept of two states envisions the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its seat of government, largely along the lines that were in place before the 1967 Middle East war.

Upon assuming leadership in late 2022, the incumbent Israeli government has ramped up the green-lighting of fresh communities and started the formal recognition for unauthorised outposts, designating them as "extensions" of existing settlements.

Ongoing Growth

The most recent decision brings the total number of settlements recognized over the past three years to 69, according to Minister Smotrich.

These authorizations come just days after the UN stated that settlement expansion had reached its highest level since 2017.

The newest group of approvals encompasses the revival of two settlements — Ganim and Kadim — which were removed almost two decades ago.

Earlier this year, Israel authorized twenty-two new communities in the territories - labeled as the most significant wave of approvals in many years.

In a related development, the Israeli government gave the go-ahead for plans in August to build over 3,000 residences in the controversial E1 corridor between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement, a plan that had been stalled for decades amid intense foreign objection.

Regarding that plan, Smotrich stated it would "bury the notion of a Palestinian state."

Population Facts and International Response

Roughly 700,000 settlers live in approximately 160 communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as per data from the Israel-based anti-settlement group Peace Now. This is territory that Palestinians aspire to have for a future sovereign nation.

Settlement expansion has angered Arab nations who have consistently said it erodes prospects for a peaceful two-state outcome.

It has furthermore sparked concerns about the possible annexing of the occupied West Bank.

Ex- American President Donald Trump had once admonished Israel about such a move, stating to a publication that the country would forfeit its backing from the US if it happened.

In a policy change, the UK - together with other nations including Australia and Canada - acknowledged a Palestinian state, a significant although largely symbolic change in government policy.

The Israeli government strongly rejected this recognition, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserting that a Palestinian state "will not happen."