Israel has approved 22 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, the biggest expansion in decades. Some were unauthorized outposts, now legalized under Israeli law, according to Defence Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Katz said the move “prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel,” while the Palestinian presidency called it a “dangerous escalation”, BBC reported.
Since 1967, Israel has built around 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews. Most of the world considers them illegal under international law, which Israel disputes.
