Hamas said the settlement plans “constitute a blatant violation of international law and United Nations resolutions that criminalize settlement construction.”

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Thursday that the Higher Planning Council will approve the construction of 1,973 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank during its next session.

He did not, however, specify when the council will meet, Israeli Channel 12, cited by the Anadolu news agency, reported.

Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich:

“In its next session, the Higher Planning Council will approve the construction of 1,973 settlement units in the [occupied] West Bank.

Since the beginning of the year, we have approved the establishment of about 30,000 settlement… pic.twitter.com/ge2LA5iBE4

— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) October 30, 2025

The announcement came just one day after Israel approved the building of 1,300 settler homes in the Gush Etzion settlement south of occupied East Jerusalem.

Smotrich said Israeli authorities have approved nearly 30,000 new settlement units in the West Bank this year, describing it as an “unprecedented achievement” for his government.

Hamas Denounces Plans

The Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas, denounced the Israeli move as a “dangerous escalation in the policy of Judaization and settlement expansion targeting Palestinian land deep inside the West Bank.”

According to the Israeli fascist minister Smotrich Israel approved this year alone 30,000 illegal settlement units in the occupied Palestinian West Bank in violation of international law and UN resolutions.

— Mustafa Barghouti @Mustafa_Barghouti (@MustafaBarghou1) October 30, 2025

“These settlement plans constitute a blatant violation of international law and United Nations resolutions that criminalize settlement construction,” it added in a statement.

According to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth, since Benjamin Netanyahu’s government took office in late 2022, Israel has advanced plans for around 48,000 settlement units in the West Bank, averaging roughly 17,000 units per year, Anadolu reported.

‘Fatal Blow’

On August 20, the government granted final approval for the “E1” settlement plan, which includes the construction of about 3,400 housing units near the Ma’ale Adumim settlement.

The Israeli rights group Peace Now has described the E1 plan as a “fatal blow” to the two-state solution, as it would separate the northern and southern West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem.

Israel Erects 1,000 New Barriers in West Bank Amid Gaza Genocide – Report

The UN has repeatedly affirmed that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law, warning that they undermine prospects for a two-state solution, Anadolu reported.

ICJ Ruling

In July last year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and should be brought to an end “as rapidly as possible.”

In 2025, there have been over 860 violent settler attacks in the West Bank.

World Leaders have a legal obligation to dismantle Israel’s unlawful occupation and to bring its system of apartheid to an end. pic.twitter.com/576nu9kClB

— Amnesty International (@amnesty) October 22, 2025

The Court also ruled that Israel is under an obligation “to immediately cease all new settlement activities and to evacuate all settlers” from the occupied land.

The 15-judge panel found that “Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the regime associated with them, have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law.”

(Anadolu, PC)