ISRAEL GREENLIGHTS 19 NEW WEST BANK SETTLEMENTS: Largest Expansion in Decades Sparks International Fury
Published Date: 21 Dec, 2025
Jerusalem – 20:14 IST, December 21, 2025 Israel has just approved the construction of 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank — the biggest single expansion since the 1990s — in a move that has drawn immediate global condemnation and warnings of a “point of no return” for the two-state solution.
Key Details from the Announcement
- Total new settlements: 19
- Estimated new housing units: up to 5,000 in first phase
- Locations: Near East Jerusalem, Hebron, Nablus, and strategic corridors
- Mastermind: Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionism party)
- Total settlements post-approval: 210 (50 % increase under current Netanyahu government)
Netanyahu’s Statement (Cabinet Meeting Leak)
“Judea and Samaria are the biblical heartland of the Jewish people. We are strengthening our eternal hold on our land — no apologies.”
Immediate International Reaction
- UN Security Council (emergency statement): “Grave violation of international law”
- EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas: Considering “targeted sanctions” on Smotrich and Ben-Gvir
- US State Department (Marco Rubio): “We urge restraint and dialogue” (no condemnation)
- Palestinian Authority: “Declaration of war on peace”
- Jordan & Egypt: Warn of “severe consequences” for regional stability
On-the-Ground Impact
- Palestinian casualties this year: Over 1,100 killed in West Bank (Palestinian Health Ministry)
- Home demolitions: 25 % spike in November alone
- New roads & infrastructure: Will connect settlements to Israel proper, further fragmenting Palestinian territory
Live Reaction on X – Israel/Palestine Trends
- #WestBankSettlements – 1.3 M posts
- “Smotrich expansion” – 789k
- “Two state dead” – 512k
Expert Take Former US Ambassador Daniel Shapiro: “This is the largest land grab in a single decision in 30 years. It makes a contiguous Palestinian state mathematically impossible.”
Political Context
- Timing: Comes days after stalled Gaza ceasefire talks
- Coalition pressure: Smotrich threatened to collapse government without expansion
- Netanyahu approval rating: Hovering at 32 % amid corruption trial
Bottom Line Israel just added 19 new permanent facts on the ground in the West Bank.
The world is condemning. The bulldozers are already moving.
And the two-state solution just took its biggest hit in a generation.
Date: 21 Dec, 2025
