Israeli government officially recognises 13 settler outposts in West Bank

The office of the Israeli Prime Minister has confirmed that 13 settler outposts in the West Bank have been officially recognised as communities. 

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the recognition of these new settlements in Judea and Samaria, which is the Israeli designation for the West Bank of the Jordan River, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

This move has raised further concerns about Israel's ongoing settlement activity in the region, which continues to be a contentious issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to the "Shalom Achshav" (Peace Now) human rights organization, which monitors Israeli settlement activity, Israeli authorities have approved more construction plans for new housing units in the West Bank settlements in the first quarter of 2025 than in the entire year of 2024.

"From January 1 to March 19, 2025, approval was granted for the construction of 10,503 housing units, compared to 9,971 in 2024," the organisation stated.

Human rights advocates have criticised the Israeli government for its efforts to normalize settlement expansion in the West Bank. They argue that these actions aim to reduce international attention and criticism, while continuing to alter the territorial realities on the ground.

Israel's settlement activity in the West Bank has long been seen as one of the key obstacles to achieving a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the international community frequently calling for a halt to such construction.

In December 2016, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2334, demanding that Israel cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. However, in response, Israel declared it would not comply with the resolution's provisions.

By Naila Huseynova