Israel minister calls for expansion of settlements in West Bank

Israel’s Interior Minister Moshe Arbel yesterday called for the expansion of illegal settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, in clear defiance of international law.

Arbel, a member of the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party, made the remarks during a visit to the Gush Etzion settlement south of the West Bank, Anadolu reported, citing Israel’s privately-owned Channel 12.

“Now, especially as we face security challenges, we must work even more vigorously in support of the settlements in Judea and Samaria,” he said in reference to the West Bank.

“We must work to support, develop, and deepen the roots of these settlements.”

Since taking office at the end of 2022, Israel’s right-wing government has intensified settlement activity in the West Bank.

According to the Palestinian Authority’s Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the Israeli army, under military orders, seized approximately 27,000 dunams (27 square kilometres) of West Bank land in the first half of 2024 under various pretexts, such as declaring them nature reserves, issuing expropriation orders, or claiming control.

Under international law, Israeli settlements on Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are illegal.

Alongside its ongoing war on Gaza since 7 October, the Israeli army has expanded its operations in the West Bank, while settlers have escalated their attacks, leading to the deaths of 716 Palestinians, the injury of around 5,750, and the arrest of over 10,800, according to Palestinian official sources.

Last week, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly endorsed a resolution calling for an end to Israel’s “unlawful” occupation within 12 months and called for reparations to be paid to Palestinians affected by the decades-long occupation of their land.

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