Israel Approves 34 New West Bank Settler Outposts

Israel's security cabinet approved the legalization of 34 new settler outposts and farms in the occupied West Bank during a meeting on March 25, according to Israeli officials familiar with the decision. The move, kept secret to sidestep international backlash amid an ongoing military campaign against Iran, marks the largest single expansion of settlements in the country's history and includes plans for electricity and water infrastructure at the sites.

The approval comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has authorized more than 100 such outposts since taking office in late 2022, accelerating construction in areas deep within Palestinian enclaves and remote zones with limited Israeli military presence. Officials said the decision aims to bolster Israeli control over the territory captured in the 1967 war, a region Palestinians seek for a future state alongside Gaza and East Jerusalem. Under international law, including UN Security Council Resolution 2334, all Israeli settlements in the West Bank are deemed illegal, a stance reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice in a 2024 ruling that declared the occupation unlawful and called for evacuating settlers.