Israel says it plans to build 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move that includes formally recognising a number of unauthorised outposts already constructed without Israeli government approval.
The Israeli anti-settlement organisation Peace Now reports that the plan involves legalising 12 existing outposts, constructing nine new settlements, and designating a neighbourhood within an existing settlement as an independent settlement.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the new settlement initiative "reinforces our sovereignty over Judea and Samaria," using Israel's biblical reference for the West Bank.
He described the decision as a strategic measure to "solidify our historical rights" and as a "firm response to Palestinian terrorism."
Gallant further claimed that settlement expansion helps block the formation of a Palestinian state, which he said would pose a security threat to Israel.
Peace Now criticised the move as the most sweeping since the 1993 Oslo Accords, which had laid the groundwork for a now-stalled peace process.
The group warned that the decision would reshape the landscape of the West Bank and deepen the Israeli occupation.
The West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem - territories seized by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War - are central to Palestinian aspirations for statehood.
Approximately three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, under a system of Israeli military control and limited Palestinian Authority governance.
Peace Now accused the Israeli government of abandoning any pretence of pursuing a two-state solution.
"The government is making clear - again and without restraint - that it prefers deepening the occupation and advancing de facto annexation over pursuing peace," the group stated.
The West Bank currently hosts over 500,000 Israeli settlers living in more than 100 settlements, ranging from modest outposts to large towns with modern infrastructure.
Most of the international community view Israeli settlements there as illegal and an obstacle to resolving the decades-old conflict.
Despite this, Israel has accelerated settlement construction in recent years and has, since the outbreak of war in Gaza, escalated house demolitions and land seizures in the territory, forcing many Palestinians families to evacuate.
Expansion has steadily limited Palestinian mobility and access to land, making the viability of a future Palestinian state increasingly unlikely.
Under President Donald Trump, US policy shifted sharply in support of Israeli claims over occupied territories, including steps to legitimise settlements.
Although President Joe Biden had voiced opposition to settlement growth, his administration refrained from applying significant pressure on Israel to stop the practice.
The top United Nations court ruled last year that Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and called on it to end, and for settlement construction to stop immediately.
Israel denounced the non-binding opinion by a 15-judge panel of the International Court of Justice, saying the territories are part of the historic homeland of the Jewish people.
