Israel announced that 800 new homes for Jewish settlers will be built in the occupied West Bank. Israeli Finance Minister Betzel Smotrich has been pushing for more settlements in the West Bank, aimed at creating the conditions for annexation.
On Wednesday, Smotrich’s office gave final approval for the building of 764 housing units in three settlements in the occupied West Bank. The statement added that over 51,000 new settlement homes in the West Bank have been approved since Smotrich joined the government in 2022.
The new approvals followed Smotrich’s rollout of an $800 million plan to build infrastructure in settlements.
Smotrich, who is a settler, has called for Israel to annex the West Bank. He said that Palestinians should be given the choice of displacement, subjection, or death.
Earlier this year, Smotrich approved the creation of a new Israeli settlement that will effectively bisect the West Bank. The Finance Minister touted that the new Jewish homes will “bury” the idea of a Palestinian state.
There are estimated to be over 700,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. As Israel occupies the Palestinian territory, settling a new population on the land is a clear violation of international law.
