A Palestinian agency has warned that Israel is advancing plans to build 1,024 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank, describing the move as part of a broader effort to expand Israeli settlements in the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission, the projects would cover more than 1,069 dunams of Palestinian land.
The commission said Israeli authorities are accelerating settlement construction through projects aimed at strengthening existing settlement blocs and reinforcing what it described as a policy of de facto annexation. It added that the plans involve expanding settlements across the occupied territory rather than creating entirely new ones.
According to the commission, Israel’s Higher Planning Council has reviewed nine settlement projects since the beginning of July. Of the proposed units, 455 have been approved, while 569 have entered the planning and deposit stage for further administrative procedures.
Among the projects, Israeli authorities approved an expansion of the Mevo Dotan settlement near the town of Arraba in southern Jenin. The plan includes 455 new settlement units on nearly 539 dunams of land. Additional proposals have also been submitted to expand the Beit Hagai and Asael settlements in the Hebron governorate with another 569 housing units.
The commission said the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank has become part of a broader planning strategy involving land-use changes, zoning amendments and infrastructure development. It argued that these measures are reshaping the geography of the occupied territory while limiting opportunities for Palestinian urban growth.
The United Nations has repeatedly stated that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law and has warned that continued settlement expansion undermines prospects for a negotiated two-state solution.
Israel has consistently disputed aspects of the international legal interpretation regarding settlements. Meanwhile, Palestinians maintain that East Jerusalem should serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state, in line with longstanding international resolutions.
