The Cabinet Decided on the Establishment of 22 New Settlements in the West Bank

This week, Israeli media reported that the cabinet has decided to establish 22 new settlements in the West Bank. Cabinet decisions are considered classified and the information about the decision was published by one of the settler councils. One day later, the Ministry of Defense confirmed the decision, however its text remained classified.

To the full list of the new settlements and their coordinates – click here.

Since the establishment of the current government, it has decided on the establishment of 49 official settlements, and started the legalization process of additional 7 outposts. 

Peace Now: The Israeli government no longer pretends otherwise: the annexation of the Occupied Territories and expansion of settlements is its central goal. The cabinet’s decision to establish 22 new settlements—the most extensive move of its kind since the Oslo Accords, under which Israel committed not to establish new settlements—will dramatically reshape the West Bank and entrench the occupation even further.
At a time when both the Israeli public and the entire world is demanding an immediate end to the war, the government is making clear—again and without restraint—that it prefers deepening the occupation and advancing de facto annexation over pursuing peace.

Concealment of the Decision

Since the formation of the current government, we have witnessed a phenomenon whereby major and central decisions regarding settlement development are not made in government meetings—which are public and published on the government’s website—but rather in the security cabinet, whose decisions are classified.
This was the case with the decision to establish 9 settlements (and legalize 10 outposts) in February 2023, the decisions in June 2024 to begin demolishing Palestinian homes in Area B and to establish 5 new settlements, the March 2025 decisions to establish a “Voluntary Emigration Administration” for Palestinians from Gaza and to formally recognize 13 existing settlements, and the decision from about two weeks ago to begin land registration procedures in the West Bank.

It is possible that beyond the desire to conceal the information and make it harder for the public to criticize the government’s actions in the occupied territories, the secrecy stems from concerns about the proceedings in the International Criminal Court, which has begun investigating Israel’s settlement construction and development as possible war crimes.

Because the decision itself was not published, we have no definitive information about the exact location of the new settlements. According to media reports, the decision stipulates that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich will instruct the necessary administrative work for the establishment of the settlements, and that the Custodian of Government Property will allocate land to the Settlement Division for this purpose.

The New Settlements – Legalizing Outposts and Establishing New Settlements Deep in the West Bank

All the new settlements are in areas deep inside the West Bank—territories that in any future agreement and in all negotiation frameworks were considered areas designated for a Palestinian state. Most of them are even within areas designated for Palestinians under Trump’s annexation plan.

An example for the fact that some of the new settlements are unprecedently in areas deep within Palestinian areas, is the two planned settlements west of Ramallah along the 443 road: Atarot Eder – between the villages of A-Tira and Beit Likqya, and Beit Hororn North south of the Ein Ariq village. The two planned settlements are in areas outside of the Separation Fence that Israel built. In fact, in order to allow for settler access to those areas, Israel will need to create new gates in the fence to allow their movement.
In recent days, works have begun on a new road for a new outpost where the planned Beit Horon North settlement is planned. The workers are accessing the area through a military check-point that was established in the past on the 443 Rd, west of Beit ‘Ur A-Fouqa village, where Israelis were not allowed to pass.

In addition, the cabinet approved the establishment of a settlement close to the city of Nablus from the north, on Mt. Ibal, and two settlements between Nablus and Jenin – Homesh and Sa-Nur. The settlements of El-Nave and Maoz Zvi are in the area of Jenin.

Of the 22 settlements approved by the cabinet: 

Twelve of the settlements decided upon by the cabinet are illegal outposts and farms established in recent years, which will now be legalized as official settlements.
Nine of them are completely new settlements (in one of which construction has already begun in recent days – Beit Horon North, on the lands of Ein Ariq west of Ramallah).
One is an existing settlement (Nofei Prat) that is officially considered a “neighborhood” of another settlement (Kfar Adumim), and it will now be recognized as an independent settlement.

3 settlements are in the Jenin district – Elnaveh, Maoz Zvi and Sa-Nur;

4 settlements are in the Hebron district – Maalot Halhul, Afeka, Yonadav and Mitzpe Ziv;

5 settlements are in the Jordan Valley – Ir Hatmarim, Kedem Arava, Gadi Camp, Gvionit and Tevez;

3 settlements are in the Nablus district – Rehavam, Mt. Ibal and Homesh;

5 settlements are in the Ramallah district – Atarot Eder, Beit Horon North, Inbar, Ahiya, Adei Ad;

1 settlement is in the Jerusalem district – Nofei Prat;

and 1 settlement is in the Salfit district – Havot Yair.

More than 50 new settlements announced by this government

Since the government was formed in December 2022, it has decided to establish 49 new official settlements. In addition, it has begun the legalization process for 7 illegal outposts, which will be recognized as “neighborhoods” of existing settlements:

In February 2023, the cabinet decided to establish 9 new settlements and legalize an additional outpost as a neighborhood of one of them.

In June 2024, the cabinet decided to legalize 5 more outposts as new settlements.

In March 2025, the cabinet decided to recognize 13 settlements previously considered “neighborhoods” of other settlements as independent settlements.

And now the cabinet has decided to establish 22 settlements: 12 of them are existing outposts that will be legalized, one will be recognized as an independent settlement, and 9 are entirely new settlements.

In addition to this, since the government was established, procedures have begun to legalize 7 more outposts as neighborhoods of existing settlements: Nativ Ha’avot, Nof Harim, HaYovel, Palgei Mayim, Givat Hanan, Bnei Adam – which have begun planning procedures, and another outpost, Beit Eliyahu, for which a decision has been made to include it within the jurisdiction of the Jordan Valley Regional Council.