On Tuesday, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry slammed Israel’s security cabinet approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling it a “dangerous step” to tighten control over Palestinian lands 🏠🚨.
The ministry said this move deepens “apartheid policies,” violates the rights of the Palestinian people, and erodes any real chance for stability and the birth of a Palestinian state. They argued that expanding settlements blocks pathways to peace and fuels tensions.
Also this week, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a pro-settler figure, confirmed these approvals, bringing the total number of settlements legalized or greenlit since late 2022 to 69. Smotrich said the push aims to strengthen Jewish communities across the West Bank and prevent the “de facto establishment” of a Palestinian state.
Since the current right-wing government took office, settlement approvals have accelerated. Most of the international community views these settlements as illegal under international law—a point Israel contests. Critics warn that every new settlement makes a two-state solution harder to achieve.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also weighed in, saying such moves “fuel tensions, restrict Palestinian access to their land, and threaten the viability of a sovereign Palestinian state.”
Israel took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war and has administered these areas ever since, creating a longstanding flashpoint in regional politics.
For young global citizens watching from South Asia and Southeast Asia, this latest development underscores how land disputes and political decisions thousands of miles away can shape the lives of millions. Keeping an eye on these stories helps us connect the dots between local struggles for rights and the global movement for justice 🌐✊.
Reference(s):
Palestine says Israel's approval of new settlements 'dangerous step'
cgtn.com
