Israel approves new illegal settlement in occupied East Jerusalem

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich approved a plan to establish a new illegal Jewish settlement with 3,600 housing units in occupied East Jerusalem, media reports said Thursday.

The "Mishmar Yehuda" settlement will be built on 3,380 dunams (835 acres) of land in the eastern part of the city, according to Channel 7.

Smotrich announced on US social media platform X that the settlement will serve as "a strategic base to protect Jerusalem from the east" and is part of Israel's policy to reinforce control over the area.

While the new settlement violates international law, Smotrich argued it would "provide tens of thousands of housing units" and "strengthen the eastern perimeter of Jerusalem."

He said the "historic" plan would help solidify Israeli sovereignty and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli Cabinet also approved the establishment of 19 illegal settlements in the West Bank on Dec. 12, further escalating annexation measures.

The Israeli left-wing group Peace Now said about 500,000 illegal Israeli settlers live in settlements across the West Bank, while another 250,000 live in settlements built on land in occupied East Jerusalem.

Expanding and formally annexing the West Bank would effectively end the possibility of implementing a two-state solution, an Israeli and a Palestinian state, as outlined in UN resolutions.

Israel was established in 1948 on Palestinian land, and later occupied the remaining Palestinian territories. Successive Israeli governments have rejected a withdrawal and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.