The Israeli Security Cabinet approved on Sunday (December 21, 2025) the recognition of 19 new settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory in the West Bank, as confirmed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who led the proposal along with Defense Minister Israel Katz.
“We are blocking the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state on the ground,” Smotrich celebrated in a statement, adding that these new colonies include those of Ganim and Kadim, west of the Palestinian city of Jenin, which were evacuated in 2005. This decision brings the total number of settlements recognized as violating international law during Smotrich’s term in office to 69.
The finance minister, who lives in a West Bank settlement, said the decision “corrects a painful injustice after 20 years” – alluding to the so-called “withdrawal law” this year – and added: “The people of Israel are returning to their land, rebuilding it and strengthening their control over it.”
Colonies in areas of “high strategic importance”
Five of the colonies presented this Sunday are settlements that have existed for years, i.e. colonies that were founded on Palestinian territory without obtaining the necessary permits from the Israeli authorities. These 19 colonies are located in areas of “high strategic importance,” emphasized the services of Minister Smotrich.
The United Nations sees West Bank settlements, one of the key issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as a major obstacle to a peace deal. It is estimated that more than half a million Israeli settlers currently live in the area occupied by Israel since the 1967 war, and another 200,000 live in East Jerusalem, the eastern part of the city occupied and annexed by Israel.
lgc (efe, dpa, afp)
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