The Israeli government has announced they plan to advance the construction of approximately 5,700 new homes in the occupied West Bank, a move that has drawn criticism from the United States. Despite pressure from the US to halt settlement expansion, which it views as an impediment to peace with the Palestinians, the Israeli government has proceeded with the construction.
A spokesperson for the US expressed deep concern about the development, highlighting Washington’s opposition to the expansion of settlements. The announcement comes in the aftermath of an incident in which four Israeli settlers were shot dead by Palestinians, leading to days of settler violence.
Tensions and violence between Palestinians and Israelis have escalated since the re-election of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His nationalist-religious coalition has made clear its intentions to expand Israeli presence in the West Bank.
According to the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now, more than 13,000 settlement homes have been advanced in the past six months alone, nearly three times the number from the entire previous year. Peace Now issued a statement, accusing the Israeli government of rapidly pushing towards full annexation of the West Bank.
Most countries, although disputed by Israel, consider the settlements to be illegal under international law. The expansion of settlements undermines the geographic viability of a two-state solution, exacerbates tensions, and further erodes trust between the parties involved, according to a US national security spokesperson.
The new plans include the construction of an additional thousand homes in the settlement of Eli, which were announced by the Israeli government following the deadly shooting of four Israelis by Palestinian gunmen in the area. The Palestinian militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.
In the wake of the attack, mobs of settlers engaged in violent acts against Palestinian villages, including setting homes on fire and resulting in one Palestinian fatality. The Israeli military and police issued a joint statement condemning vigilantism, which sparked an angry response from far-right members of the Israeli governing coalition.
