How Israel is expanding settlements in drive to reshape West Bank

**Israel's Expanding Settlements: A Strategy to Reshape the West Bank**

During a September ceremony at an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu articulated his vision: "We are going to fulfill our promise that there will be no Palestinian state," he declared. "This place belongs to us." His statement accompanied the signing of an agreement to advance the expansion of a settlement in the E1 area, situated just east of Jerusalem.

Recently, the issuance of tenders for approximately 1,200 settlement homes on this strategically vital land has drawn widespread condemnation. All settlements are considered illegal under international law, and for decades, global pressure had deterred Israel from building in the E1 area.

Following the recent announcement, the UN Secretary-General warned that these plans posed an "existential threat" to a future Palestinian state. A joint statement from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada deemed the plans "unacceptable" and predicted they would "drive a wedge through the West Bank," a sentiment echoed by the European Union. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, welcomed these statements and urged the signatories to take "concrete measures to halt the implementation of the E1 plan."

The West Bank, along with Gaza and the Golan Heights, was captured by Israel during the 1967 war against a coalition of Arab states and has remained under Israeli control since. International law prohibits Israel from settling occupied land. Despite this, the Israeli population in the West Bank has steadily increased, with Israel constructing around 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews since 1967.

A significant acceleration in settlement construction has been observed since 2022, coinciding with Netanyahu's return to power at the head of a right-wing, pro-settler coalition. This escalation intensified further after the Gaza war began, triggered by Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

For instance, BBC Verify's analysis of satellite imagery reveals the construction of approximately 185 new buildings in Tzofim, a settlement in the northwest of the territory, since 2022. Similarly, around Kochav Hashahar, the existing settlement has expanded in multiple directions, with new roads, houses, and a settler outpost appearing on surrounding land. Hundreds of outposts, illegal under both Israeli and international law, have been established since the 1990s, with dozens subsequently legalized by the government.

The E1 settlement remains perhaps the most contentious. Its proposed location, as shown on maps, would effectively bisect the West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem from the rest of the territory. Opponents argue that this development would prevent the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state by severing the northern West Bank from the south and hindering the development of a continuous Palestinian urban area connecting Ramallah, East Jerusalem, and Bethlehem.

Peace Now, an Israeli anti-settlement watchdog that has legally challenged the plans, stated, "The government is trying to sign contracts with contractors before the (upcoming October) elections so that it will be much harder for the next government to cancel the construction."

Beyond settlements, the administration of the West Bank has increasingly shifted from military control to a civilian authority led by Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's far-right finance minister. This shift has led to a substantial increase in roads crisscrossing the West Bank, connecting settlements while bisecting Palestinian towns and villages. Smotrich has stated that this "ensures that the settlements will not remain on paper - but will be established on the ground." In May of this year, the Israeli government announced over a billion shekels ($360 million; £246 million) in funding for new road construction in the West Bank, with an official press release citing the intention of "strengthening of their grip on the territory."

There has also been an escalation of settler violence against Palestinians. Recently, an incident where two Palestinian homes were besieged by settlers, with their water and power cut, prompted US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, typically a strong supporter of settlements, to condemn the attack as a "criminal and terrorist act."

Collectively, these developments have fueled fears among Palestinians in the West Bank and proponents of Palestinian statehood that the "facts on the ground" will render a future Palestinian state unviable. Some senior Israeli ministers openly acknowledge this as their strategy. Speaking in 2024, Smotrich stated that the construction of E1 would help "establish sovereignty in Judea and Samaria (an Israeli name for the occupied West Bank), first on the ground and then through legislation… My life's mission is to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state."

The recent news of the E1 construction tender comes just months before crucial and closely contested elections in Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition partners likely hope that such moves will appeal to their base and enhance their chances of victory. Even if not, they may believe that the expansion of settlements has established new "facts on the ground" that will be irreversible.