{"id":41933,"date":"2024-10-13T15:16:25","date_gmt":"2024-10-13T12:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/?p=41933"},"modified":"2024-10-14T16:24:45","modified_gmt":"2024-10-14T13:24:45","slug":"war-and-annexation-how-the-israeli-government-changed-the-west-bank-during-the-first-year-of-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/war-and-annexation-how-the-israeli-government-changed-the-west-bank-during-the-first-year-of-war","title":{"rendered":"War and Annexation: How the Israeli Government Changed the West Bank During the First Year of War"},"content":{"rendered":"<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/War-and-Annexation-Peace-Now-Report-October-2024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-41934 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/frontreportwarandannexationpeacenow-330x443.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"330\" height=\"443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/frontreportwarandannexationpeacenow-330x443.png 330w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/frontreportwarandannexationpeacenow-120x161.png 120w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/frontreportwarandannexationpeacenow.png 661w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 330px) 100vw, 330px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/War-and-Annexation-Peace-Now-Report-October-2024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>\u00a0Download the full report as PDF<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a year of war in Gaza and nearly two years under an extreme right-wing, pro-settler government, the Israeli government&#8217;s policy in the occupied West Bank has become fully apparent: <\/span><b>annexing the West Bank and shrinking Palestinian space in Area C.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This policy is being carried out through the establishment of a record number of illegal outposts, a sharp increase in the quantity and intensity of settler violence\u2014described by the head of the General Security Service (Shin Bet) as Jewish terrorism\u2014closures of roads and highways, and unprecedented measures to legalize and fund illegal outposts. At the same time, the government <\/span><b>is completing an administrative infrastructure for the annexation of the West Bank<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by transferring powers from the Civil Administration, a military body, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/the-annexation-agenda-of-the-israeli-government\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to the newly created Settlement Administration, a civil and political administration<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> under the direct authority and control of Minister Smotrich.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Current Situation in the West Bank Under Netanyahu&#8217;s Government Since 10\/7\/23<\/b><\/h3>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>Settlements and Outposts:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; At least 43 new outposts have been established<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, most of which are agricultural outposts (&#8220;farms&#8221;) focused on land takeover and the systematic expulsion of Palestinians from the area. The number of new outposts is unprecedented. For instance, from 1996 until early 2023, fewer than 7 outposts were established per year on average.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; Numerous unauthorized<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/new-roads-and-outposts-flourish-in-the-west-bank-amid-gaza-war\"><b> new roads<\/b><\/a><b> have been constructed<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with a total length estimated at dozens of kilometers, to facilitate the establishment of new outposts and take control of additional land.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; The Higher Planning Council advanced plans for 8,681 housing units in settlements<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-41938\" src=\"http:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/outposts_since_07.10.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"341\" height=\"678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/outposts_since_07.10.png 341w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/outposts_since_07.10-81x161.png 81w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/outposts_since_07.10-330x656.png 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 341px) 100vw, 341px\" \/><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; 24,193 dunams were declared as &#8220;state land,&#8221;<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> amounting to<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/state-land-declaration-12000-dunams\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> approximately half<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of all the land declared as state land since the Oslo agreement (1993)\u00a0 to date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; The cabinet decided to establish <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/cabinet-decision-5-new-settlements\"><b>five new settlements<\/b><\/a><b>:<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Evyatar, Givat Assaf, Sde Efrayim, Adorayim, and the Nahal Heletz settlement<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. All five are currently illegal outposts which will now become official settlements.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; Three outposts were designated as &#8220;neighborhoods&#8221; of existing settlements <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">through <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/approval-of-5295-units-and-the-establishment-of-3-new-settlements\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">plan approvals by the Higher Planning Council<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Machane Gadi, Kedem Arava, and Givat Chanan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; 70 illegal outposts were recognized as eligible for funding and infrastructure.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Minister Smotrich <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/construction-in-oupotsts\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">instructed government ministries<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and other authorities to begin funding these 70 illegal outposts, as well as construct public buildings in them, and connect them to water, electricity, and other utilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; New settlements in Hebron<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014settlers have <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/new-settlement-in-hebron\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">entered a house in Hebron<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that they claim to have purchased from Palestinians. Their entry was made possible after they received a &#8220;transaction permit&#8221; from entities subordinate to Minister Smotrich. Additionally, a plan to establish <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/plan-deposited-for-establishment-of-new-settlement-in-hebron\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a new settlement enclave in Hebron<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with 234 housing units north of Kiryat Arba has been deposited for public review.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>Funding and Budgets:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; The government doubled the budget of the Ministry of Settlement <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and the funds allocated to the Settlement Division, adding 302 million shekels.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; 7 billion shekels were allocated for roads in the settlements. <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/the-annexation-agenda-of-the-israeli-government\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Minister Smotrich<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Ministry of Finance has reached an agreement with the Ministry of Transportation on a five-year plan totaling 7 billion shekels for intercity roads between the settlements.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\">\n<p dir=\"rtl\" lang=\"iw\">\u05db\u05d1\u05d9\u05e9 \u05e2\u05d5\u05e7\u05e3 \u05d7\u05d5\u05d5\u05d0\u05e8\u05d4 (&#8220;\u05dc\u05d1 \u05d4\u05e9\u05d5\u05de\u05e8\u05d5\u05df&#8221;) &#8211; \u05db\u05d1\u05d9\u05e9 \u05de\u05d4\u05d9\u05e8 \u05dc-4 \u05d4\u05ea\u05e0\u05d7\u05dc\u05d5\u05d9\u05d5\u05ea \u05de\u05d1\u05d5\u05d3\u05d3\u05d5\u05ea. \u05e0\u05e1\u05dc\u05dc \u05e2\u05dc 406 \u05d3\u05d5\u05e0\u05dd \u05e9\u05dc \u05d0\u05d3\u05de\u05d5\u05ea \u05e4\u05e8\u05d8\u05d9\u05d5\u05ea. \u05e0\u05d7\u05e0\u05da \u05d1\u05e0\u05d5\u05d1\u05de\u05d1\u05e8. \u05e2\u05dc\u05d5\u05ea: 350 \u05de\u05d9\u05dc\u05d9\u05d5\u05df \u05e9\u05e7\u05dc \u05dc\u05e4\u05d7\u05d5\u05ea. \u05e0\u05e1\u05e2\u05e0\u05d5 \u05d1\u05d5 \u05dc\u05d1\u05d3 \u05d4\u05d1\u05d5\u05e7\u05e8. \u05d0\u05d9\u05e4\u05d4 \u05d4\u05de\u05ea\u05e0\u05d7\u05dc\u05d9\u05dd? \u05d4\u05dd \u05de\u05e2\u05d3\u05d9\u05e4\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05d4\u05e4\u05d2\u05d9\u05df \u05e8\u05d9\u05d1\u05d5\u05e0\u05d5\u05ea \u05d5\u05dc\u05e0\u05e1\u05d5\u05e2 \u05d3\u05e8\u05da \u05d7\u05d5\u05d5\u05d0\u05e8\u05d4. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fqrcLZTThi\">pic.twitter.com\/fqrcLZTThi<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 \u05e9\u05dc\u05d5\u05dd \u05e2\u05db\u05e9\u05d9\u05d5 (@PeaceNowIL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PeaceNowIL\/status\/1760233260053877248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 21, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Hawara Bypass Road: Over 300 million shekels for a nearly empty road.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">&#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/billions-for-settlements-in-the-2024-budget\"><b>409 million shekels<\/b><\/a><b> were allocated for unique projects in the settlements, despite a broad cut in the state budget.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The allocation includes funding for projects such as the preservation of antiquities in the West Bank, the restoration of Sebastia Park, strengthening the Old City Basin (a tourism settlement in East Jerusalem), and projects related to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/settlement-under-the-guise-of-tourism-the-elad-settler-organization-in-silwan\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the Elad organization in Silwan<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; Funding for illegal outposts and farms<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 75 million shekels have been allocated to illegal outposts, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/government-funds-for-farms\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">approximately 39 million shekels<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for illegal shepherding farms, some of which are involved in settler violence. This is the first time that the government is directly funding illegal outposts through government ministries.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>Annexation Moves:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; Powers related to settlements have been <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/the-annexation-agenda-of-the-israeli-government\"><b>transferred from the military to a civil officer<\/b><\/a><b> under Minister Smotrich. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The minister appointed a settler to the position known as the &#8220;Civilian Deputy&#8221; to the head of the Civil Administration, essentially making him the governor of the settlements. Despite the position\u2019s title, The Civilian Deputy is directly accountable to Minister Smotrich and not to the head of the Civil Administration. The authority of the Civilian Deputy involves a wide range of powers concerning settlements, infrastructure, lands, and much more. For further details, see: &#8220;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yesh-din.org\/en\/the-quiet-overhaul-changing-the-nature-of-israeli-control-in-the-west-bank-analysis-of-israels-37th-governments-annexation-policy-and-its-ramifications\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Quiet Overhaul<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8221; (by Ofek, Yesh Din, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Breaking the Silence).<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; A new legal advisory unit was established and manned in the Ministry of Defense under<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/the-annexation-agenda-of-the-israeli-government\"><b> Minister Smotrich<\/b><\/a><b>, taking responsibilities previously held by the military through the Civil Administration\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; The government took over<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/israeli-government-assumes-authorities-of-the-palestinian-authority-in-area-b\"><b> enforcement powers in parts of Area B<\/b><\/a><b>, which are supposed to be under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following cabinet instructions, the Central Command chief signed orders that contradict the Oslo agreements<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">by granting him the authority to demolish Palestinian homes in an area known as &#8220;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/israeli-government-assumes-authorities-of-the-palestinian-authority-in-area-b\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the Agreed-Upon Reserve<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,&#8221; which is under the Palestinian Authority\u2019s control. Subsequently, the Supervision Unit issued demolition orders in these areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>Reduction of Palestinian Living Space:<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; Settler Violence:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Human rights organizations have documented <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ochaopt.org\/content\/humanitarian-situation-update-219-west-bank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at least 1,360 incidents<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of violence by settlers against Palestinians; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ochaopt.org\/data\/casualties\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at least 10 Palestinians<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have been killed by settlers (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ochaopt.org\/content\/humanitarian-situation-update-219-west-bank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OCHA<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> data as of 16\/09\/24).<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; Displacement:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> At least<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ochaopt.org\/content\/humanitarian-situation-update-219-west-bank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 277 Palestinian families<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (approximately 1,630 individuals) have been forcibly displaced from their homes due to settler violence, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.btselem.org\/settler_violence\/20231019_forcible_transfer_of_isolated_communities_and_families_in_area_c_under_the_cover_of_gaza_fighting\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at least 19<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> entire Palestinian communities (according to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ochaopt.org\/content\/humanitarian-situation-update-219-west-bank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OCHA<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.btselem.org\/settler_violence\/20231019_forcible_transfer_of_isolated_communities_and_families_in_area_c_under_the_cover_of_gaza_fighting\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> B&#8217;Tselem<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; Restricted Access to Agricultural Land:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Palestinians are being <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.keremnavot.org\/israeli-roadblock\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">denied access<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to hundreds of thousands of dunams of agricultural land. The military and settlers prevent Palestinians from cultivating large areas around settlements, employing hundreds of physical blocks, earth mounds, and iron gates established by the IDF or settlers, as well as evictions carried out by settlers or soldiers, often reserve soldiers residing in the settlements as part of the West Bank \u201cregional defense\u201d battalions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; No Residential Building Permits for Palestinians:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Higher Planning Council has not approved any plans for residential buildings for Palestinians in Area C. Out of 110 appeals regarding rejected requests for permits or plans that were reviewed, 109 were denied. Out of 12 plans and permits that were discussed 9 were rejected and only 3 were approved: for the renovation of an agricultural structure, for the construction of an agricultural storage facility, and for a commercial center (in the Jenin area).<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><b>&#8211; Demolitions:<\/b> <b>A total of 901 Palestinian structures have been demolished by Israel <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in Area C due to a lack of building permits. Eight additional structures were demolished in Areas A and B (under security demolition orders). As a result, 892 Palestinians lost their homes. Additionally, 521 structures housing 2,659 Palestinians were destroyed in military operations, primarily in the Jenin and Tulkarem areas. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ochaopt.org\/data\/demolition\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OCHA data<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as of 22\/09\/24.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr dir=\"ltr\" \/>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Analysis: Increased Illegal Settler Activity in the West Bank Post-October 7, 2023<\/b><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Immediately following\u00a0 October 7, there was a marked increase in settler activities in the West Bank, including the establishment of many outposts and new road constructions, alongside a significant escalation in violence against Palestinians. In the initial months of the war in Gaza, the Settlement Watch Team of Peace Now documented <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/new-roads-and-outposts-flourish-in-the-west-bank-amid-gaza-war\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the construction of dozens of new roads<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, extending over many kilometers. These roads serve not only to establish new settlement points but also to ease settlers\u2019 access to large areas used by Palestinian shepherds and farmers, thus facilitating their expulsion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Likewise, during the early days of the war, the Israeli military called up hundreds of settlers and assigned them to West Bank &#8220;Regional Defense&#8221; battalions, serving within the settlements themselves. Some of these individuals who were recruited also participated in the systematic expulsion of Palestinians in the area, often collaborating closely with the settlers residing in outposts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since October 7, Settlement Watch documented 43 new outposts that have been established, primarily farm outposts, staffed by hilltop youth involved in seizing land and expelling Palestinians. Settlement Watch has revealed that the Netanyahu government <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/government-funds-for-farms\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">allocated 75 million shekels<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 2024 for funding illegal outposts, with 39 million of that earmarked for illegal farms. Additionally, it has become clear that some of these funds are also designated for paving new roads. This is the first time that the government is directly funding illegal outposts through government ministries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to financial support, violent outpost settlers also received political backing from the government. Minister Smotrich, who received responsibility for settlement issues from Netanyahu, enforces a policy of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/israel-news\/2023-06-30\/ty-article\/.premium\/israels-state-prosecution-withdrew-position-to-evacuate-outpost-after-smotrich-objection\/00000189-0b21-dbf5-a3cf-aba5f2cf0000\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">near-total cessation of outpost evacuations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and law enforcement against settlers. Minister Ben-Gvir has pushed the police to ensure that acts of Jewish terrorism go largely unpunished, and despite the increase in settler violence, it was reported the number of arrests of suspects in Jewish terrorism in the occupied West Bank has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ynet.co.il\/news\/article\/yokra13975817\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">decreased by half<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> compared to the previous year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The military&#8217;s decision to close dozens of entrances and exits to Palestinian villages and towns in Areas A and B, along with hundreds of blocks of dirt roads across the occupied West Bank, severely restricted Palestinian movement in Area C and facilitated free movement for settlers throughout the occupied West Bank. As a result of these roadblocks, Palestinian travel has become significantly longer, more costly, and considerably less frequent. A year after the war began, hundreds of entrances and exits remain closed, including many leading to Ramallah, Nablus, and Hebron, as well as other towns and cities. Major roads have been converted into settler-only routes, such as the &#8220;Liberman Road,&#8221; which bypasses Bethlehem from the east, and where all exits and entrances to Palestinian communities along the route are blocked.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A significant aspect of the changes observed in the past year stems from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/annexation-under-the-radar-the-establishment-of-the-settlements-administration-under-minister-bezalel-smotrich-report\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the establishment of the Settlement Administration<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/the-annexation-agenda-of-the-israeli-government\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Israeli government\u2019s decision<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to prioritize the strengthening of settlements and outposts. Over the past year, the Israeli government initiated the legalization process for seven outposts, in addition to 14 that began the process of retroactive legalization in the year prior to this one. Concurrently, Minister Smotrich established an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/construction-in-oupotsts\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;expedited legalization process&#8221;<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for 70 outposts, allowing for budget allocations and the construction of public buildings in illegal outposts without undergoing legalization processes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In conclusion, the war and the political agenda set by settlers to impose sovereignty in the occupied West Bank have created conditions that are being exploited for unprecedented settlement activities, leading to a rapid and unchecked annexation process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-41946\" src=\"http:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/wbdevelopmentssince0710.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"405\" height=\"728\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/wbdevelopmentssince0710.png 405w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/wbdevelopmentssince0710-90x161.png 90w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/wbdevelopmentssince0710-330x593.png 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 405px) 100vw, 405px\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_41948\" style=\"width: 818px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41948\" class=\"wp-image-41948 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/einsamia.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"808\" height=\"509\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/einsamia.png 808w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/einsamia-161x101.png 161w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/einsamia-330x208.png 330w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/einsamia-768x484.png 768w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/einsamia-348x220.png 348w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 808px) 100vw, 808px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-41948\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The blocked entrance to the village of Ein Samia, northeast of Nablus<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_41950\" style=\"width: 816px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41950\" class=\"wp-image-41950 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/yasufblock.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"806\" height=\"511\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/yasufblock.png 806w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/yasufblock-161x102.png 161w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/yasufblock-330x209.png 330w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/yasufblock-768x487.png 768w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/yasufblock-348x220.png 348w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-41950\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Blocking of the road to the Palestinian village of Yasuf by settlers, near the settlement of Tapuach<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_41952\" style=\"width: 816px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41952\" class=\"wp-image-41952 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/infraworkitamar.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"806\" height=\"508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/infraworkitamar.png 806w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/infraworkitamar-161x101.png 161w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/infraworkitamar-330x208.png 330w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/infraworkitamar-768x484.png 768w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/infraworkitamar-348x220.png 348w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-41952\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Infrastructure work east of the settlement of Itamar<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_41954\" style=\"width: 817px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41954\" class=\"wp-image-41954 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/roadaldik.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"807\" height=\"508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/roadaldik.png 807w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/roadaldik-161x101.png 161w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/roadaldik-330x208.png 330w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/roadaldik-768x483.png 768w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/roadaldik-348x220.png 348w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-41954\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A road breach by settlers on the lands of the village of Al-Dik<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_41956\" style=\"width: 816px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41956\" class=\"wp-image-41956 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/outpostelchai.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"806\" height=\"508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/outpostelchai.png 806w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/outpostelchai-161x101.png 161w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/outpostelchai-330x208.png 330w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/outpostelchai-768x484.png 768w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/outpostelchai-348x220.png 348w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-41956\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The farm outpost of Elchai, near Deir Sharaf<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_41958\" style=\"width: 820px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41958\" class=\"wp-image-41958 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/tkoa-vav.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"810\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/tkoa-vav.png 810w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/tkoa-vav-161x102.png 161w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/tkoa-vav-330x209.png 330w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/tkoa-vav-768x485.png 768w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/tkoa-vav-348x220.png 348w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-41958\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The outpost of Tekoa Vav<\/p><\/div>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0Download the full report as PDF After a year of war in Gaza and nearly two years under an extreme right-wing, pro-settler government, the Israeli government&#8217;s policy in the occupied West Bank has become fully apparent: annexing the West Bank and shrinking Palestinian space in Area C.\u00a0 This policy is being carried out through the&#8230;  <a class=\"excerpt-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/war-and-annexation-how-the-israeli-government-changed-the-west-bank-during-the-first-year-of-war\" title=\"Read War and Annexation: How the Israeli Government Changed the West Bank During the First Year of War\">Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":41934,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2513,2511,16],"tags":[2813,2519,3285,3232,2818,3783,2454,2374,3670,2471],"class_list":["post-41933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-outposts-en","category-reports-en","category-settlement-watch","tag-annexation","tag-budget","tag-farm-outposts","tag-higher-planning-council","tag-outpost-legalization","tag-report","tag-settlement-watch","tag-settlements","tag-settler-terrorism","tag-2471"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41933"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41933\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41976,"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41933\/revisions\/41976"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}