In a major escalation of its occupation of Palestinian territories, the Israeli government has approved a raft of measures that dramatically expand its control over the West Bank. This latest power grab, which the international community has widely condemned as illegal, signals a dangerous turn toward full-scale annexation that could derail any hopes for a two-state solution.
Approving 19 New Settlements
The most significant move was the security cabinet's decision to formally approve 19 illegal Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank. As Al Jazeera reports, this "accelerates Israel's annexation drive" and "deepens a decades-long project of land theft and demographic engineering." The plan also revives two northern West Bank outposts that were dismantled in 2005.
Expanding Gun Licenses for Settlers
In a parallel move, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has approved the issuance of gun licenses to Israelis in 18 additional illegal West Bank settlements. According to Al Jazeera, this is part of a "wide-scale armament programme" that has armed settlers with military-grade weapons, "ranging from US-made M16s to pistols and drones."
The Dangerous Endgame
What this really means is that Israel is rapidly cementing its control over the occupied West Bank, making the prospect of an independent Palestinian state increasingly untenable. The bigger picture here is that these actions, coupled with the continued expansion of settlements deemed illegal under international law, are part of a broader Israeli strategy to permanently annex Palestinian lands and cement its de facto one-state reality. As Reuters reports, the Israeli parliament has even given initial approval to a bill that would apply Israeli law to the occupied West Bank, a move tantamount to outright annexation.
The international community has broadly condemned these developments, with the United Nations' highest court ruling in 2024 that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and its settlements are illegal and should be withdrawn. However, the Israeli government, emboldened by the support of its allies like the United States, seems determined to push ahead with this agenda, regardless of the global outcry. The future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict hangs in the balance, with the prospect of a two-state solution slipping further out of reach with each passing day.