Tel Aviv [Israel], May 30: Israel's government has approved 22 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, its finance minister said on Thursday, a move condemned by Israeli human rights groups that may strain ties with key allies that have threatened sanctions.
Bezalel Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist in the ruling right-wing coalition who has long advocated for Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, wrote on X that the settlements would be located in the northern West Bank, without specifying exactly where.
Israeli media cited the Defence Ministry as saying that among the new settlements, existing "outposts" would be legalised under Israeli law and new settlements would also be built.
A spokesperson for Defence Minister Israel Katz did not respond to a text message seeking comment on the announcement.
The Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited rule in the West Bank, and the largely Gaza-based Islamist militant group condemned the Israeli decision.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said it was a "dangerous escalation," accusing Israel of continuing to drag the region into a "cycle of violence and instability."
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Cooperation