Israel moves to legalize 5 settlement outposts in occupied West Bank

The Israeli government granted licenses Wednesday to legalize five unauthorized settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank, a move hailed by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for weakening prospects for a Palestinian state.

Smotrich, who leads the far-right Religious Zionism party, announced the decision on the US social media company X, saying the government assigned official "settlement codes" to Homesh in the northern West Bank and four other outposts: Yondif in the Hebron Hills, Jibot in the Gush Etzion bloc south of Jerusalem, Betron in the Jordan Valley, and Kedom Arava in the north.

He said the Israeli government issued 20 new settlement codes over the past month, completing their administrative regularization.
A settlement code is an Israeli administrative and legal designation that recognizes an outpost's existence and integrates it into official planning and services.

The finance minister described the move as continuing efforts "to crush the idea of a Palestinian state," adding that settlement activity in the West Bank continues to expand.

Palestinian authorities have for decades called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, which the United Nations considers illegal under international law.

Since Israel launched its war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, Palestinian officials say Israeli measures aimed at annexing the West Bank have intensified, including home demolitions, forced displacement and settlement expansion.

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, according to the Israeli left-wing group Peace Now.

Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, injured nearly 11,000, and detained around 21,000 since October 2023, Palestinian figures showed.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.