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Israel's top security body has given its endorsement to the establishment of 19 new outposts in the occupied Palestinian territories, signaling a ongoing drive for community development.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who lives in a settlement and put forward the measure alongside Defence Minister Israel Katz, declared that the approval was about preventing the formation of a Palestinian state.

It is important to note that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are viewed as unlawful.

The announcement has sparked censure from Saudi Arabia. The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has previously stated that Israel's "relentless" growth of communities heightens tensions, curtails Palestinian access to land, and jeopardizes the prospects of a independent Palestine.

Increased Tensions and Political Repercussions

Unrest in the region has increased sharply since the conflict in the Gaza Strip began in the autumn of 2023, intensifying apprehensions that settlement expansion could entrench the Israeli presence and weaken the prospects for a two-state solution.

The concept of two states refers to the creation of a State of Palestine in the Palestinian territories, with East Jerusalem as its seat of government, broadly along the boundaries that were in place prior to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Since coming to power in late 2022, the present government in Jerusalem has ramped up the authorization of new settlements and begun the legalisation process for unauthorised outposts, classifying them as "neighbourhoods" of established settlements.

Ongoing Growth

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

These approvals are announced just days after the UN said that construction in settlements had hit its peak since 2017.

The latest batch of authorizations encompasses the revival of a pair of communities — Ganim and Kadim — which were removed about two decades ago.

In a previous move, Israel gave the nod to 22 new communities in the occupied West Bank - what was the largest expansion in many years.

In a related development, the Israeli government gave the go-ahead for blueprints last summer to construct in excess of three thousand residences in the so-called E1 area between the capital and the Maale Adumim settlement, a project that had been on hold for decades amid strong foreign objection.

On that occasion, Smotrich stated it would "bury the idea of a Palestinian state."

Population Realities and International Reactions

An estimated seven hundred thousand settlers reside in about one hundred and sixty communities in the occupied territories, as per data from the Israel-based monitoring organization Peace Now. This is land that the Palestinian people aspire to have for a future independent state.

Settlement expansion has angered Arab states who have steadfastly contended it undermines hopes for a two-state solution.

It has also raised anxieties about the possible formal annexation of the occupied West Bank.

Ex- US President Donald Trump had once admonished Israel about this step, stating to TIME magazine that the country would lose all its support from the United States if it occurred.

In a policy change, the United Kingdom - along with other countries such as Australia and Canada - recognised a State of Palestine, a major although primarily ceremonial adjustment in foreign policy.

The Israeli government opposed the move, with PM Benjamin Netanyahu saying that a sovereign Palestine "will not happen."