Israel Approves 19 New Settlements in Occupied West Bank Amid International Condemnation
Israel approved 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, raising the total number of settlements to 210, up from 141 in 2022, according to Peace Now. Among these newly approved settlements, two were previously evacuated under the 2005 disengagement plan.
On 23 December 2025, Israeli bulldozers leveled land at the evacuated Sanur settlement near Jenin as part of ongoing settlement activities.
A joint condemnation statement was issued by fourteen countries, including the UK, Canada, and Germany, declaring that these moves violate international law, risk regional instability, and should be reversed. The statement referenced UN Security Council Resolution 2334 and reaffirmed support for a two-state solution. It further argued that unilateral settlement expansion could undermine the Gaza plan’s phase 2 and damage prospects for long-term peace. The joint statement also opposed annexation and the expansion of settlement policies, highlighting concerns over the E1 settlement and thousands of new housing units as part of the ongoing expansion.
In response, Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar rejected the condemnation, stating that it will not restrict Jews’ right to live in the Land of Israel.
