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Israel's top security body has given its endorsement to the establishment of 19 fresh communities in the contested Palestinian territories, marking a continued campaign for territorial growth.

Far-right Treasury Chief Bezalel Smotrich, a settler who put forward the measure in concert with Defense Chief Israel Katz, asserted that the decision was aimed at preventing the formation of a Palestinian state.

It is important to note that Jewish communities in the disputed territories are considered illegal.

The announcement has drawn criticism from Saudi Arabia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has commented that Israel's "relentless" settlement expansion fuels tensions, limits Palestinian access to land, and threatens the viability of a independent Palestine.

Rising Tensions and Diplomatic Repercussions

Unrest in the region has increased sharply since the war in Gaza erupted in October 2023, adding to concerns that the growth of communities could deepen the Israeli presence and weaken the prospects for a two-state solution.

The two-state solution refers to the establishment of a State of Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its seat of government, roughly along the borders that were in place prior to the 1967 Middle East war.

Since coming to power in late 2022, the incumbent government in Jerusalem has greatly accelerated the green-lighting of fresh communities and started the legalisation process for previously illegal outposts, recognising them as "extensions" of established communities.

A Pattern of Expansion

The latest approval pushes the overall count of communities recognized over the last three years to 69, per the figures from Minister Smotrich.

These authorizations are announced a short time after the UN stated that settlement expansion had reached its highest level since the year 2017.

The latest batch of approvals encompasses the rebuilding of a pair of communities — Ganim and Kadim — which were dismantled nearly in 2005.

Previously, the Israeli government approved 22 additional communities in the territories - labeled as the most significant wave of approvals in many years.

In a related development, the government gave the go-ahead for projects last summer to erect in excess of three thousand homes in the so-called E1 corridor between the capital and the Maale Adumim community, a plan that had been on hold for decades amid fierce foreign opposition.

On that occasion, the Finance Minister stated it would "put to rest the concept of a Palestinian state."

Demographic Facts and Global Reactions

Approximately seven hundred thousand Israeli settlers reside in around one hundred and sixty settlements in the occupied territories, as per data from the Israel-based anti-settlement group Peace Now. This is territory that Palestinians seek for a future independent state.

Settlement expansion has provoked Arab states who have steadfastly contended it undermines chances for a peaceful two-state outcome.

It has also fueled fears about the possible annexing of the disputed territories.

Ex- US President Donald Trump had once warned the Israeli leadership about this step, telling a publication that the country would lose all its support from the US if it proceeded.

Recently, the United Kingdom - together with other countries including Australia and Canada - formally recognized a State of Palestine, a major although primarily ceremonial shift in government policy.

The Israeli government opposed the move, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu saying that a sovereign Palestine "is not going to occur."