WEST BANK, (PIC)
Israeli occupation authorities are planning to establish 34 new settlement outposts across the northern West Bank and the al-Khalil area, in what Palestinian officials describe as a major escalation of settlement expansion.
Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission head Moayyad Shaaban said the decision, reportedly approved secretly by the Israeli cabinet, reflects an unprecedented acceleration in settlement activity aimed at imposing new realities on the ground.
He said the plan is designed to fragment Palestinian geography and isolate communities, as part of a broader policy of gradual annexation in violation of international law.
According to Shaaban, the project focuses on northern areas, particularly around Jenin, including reestablishing settlements near previously evacuated sites, as well as building around 10 new outposts in al-Khalil.
He added that the distribution of these sites suggests an attempt to blur geographic boundaries and undermine the prospects of a two-state solution.
The announcement follows a series of steps taken in 2025, including the legalization of settlement neighborhoods and approval of dozens of new outposts, indicating a sustained and accelerating expansion strategy.
Shaaban warned that the move exploits regional and international distractions to advance large-scale settlement plans without accountability, calling on the international community to take concrete action beyond condemnation.
