Israel approves major settlement expansion plans across W. Bank

These settlement expansion plans target several areas across the West Bank, including Qalqilya, Salfit, Nablus, Ramallah, and al-Khalil, alongside the illegal Gush Etzion bloc, with 288 units in Kedumim (Qalqilya), 225 in Beit Hagai (Hebron), 200 in Talmon (Ramallah), 98 in Ariel (Salfit), and 83 in Alon Moreh (Nablus).

According to CWRC, the plans go beyond settler homes. They are also aimed at expanding industrial zones, commercial facilities, roads, and public services, creating infrastructure that supports long-term settlement growth.

CWRC warned that the transformation of agricultural and open land into residential and commercial zones for Jewish settlers comes at the expense of West Bank land, further constraining the growth and development of Palestinian communities while entrenching Israeli control across the occupied territories.