{"id":43923,"date":"2025-05-29T13:10:35","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T10:10:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/?p=43923"},"modified":"2025-06-08T13:31:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-08T10:31:01","slug":"cabinet-decision-22-settlements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/cabinet-decision-22-settlements","title":{"rendered":"The Cabinet Decided on the Establishment of 22 New Settlements in the West Bank"},"content":{"rendered":"<p dir=\"ltr\">This week, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/defense-ministry-confirms-government-approval-of-22-new-west-bank-settlements\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Israeli media reported<\/a> 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, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/defense-ministry-confirms-government-approval-of-22-new-west-bank-settlements\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Ministry of Defense confirmed<\/a> the decision, however its text remained classified.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">To the full list of the new settlements and their coordinates &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1zyLa4zPLdQ3dAxk_0bmWSpP3aBuofFLs22B4zol8vA8\/edit?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>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.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><em>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\u2019s decision to establish 22 new settlements\u2014the most extensive move of its kind since the Oslo Accords, under which Israel committed not to establish new settlements\u2014will dramatically reshape the West Bank and entrench the occupation even further.<\/em><br \/>\n<em>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\u2014again and without restraint\u2014that it prefers deepening the occupation and advancing de facto annexation over pursuing peace.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-43985\" src=\"http:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/New_22_Settlements_ENG.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1448\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/New_22_Settlements_ENG.jpg 1241w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/New_22_Settlements_ENG-114x161.jpg 114w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/New_22_Settlements_ENG-330x467.jpg 330w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/New_22_Settlements_ENG-768x1086.jpg 768w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/New_22_Settlements_ENG-1086x1536.jpg 1086w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">Concealment of the Decision<\/h3>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">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\u2014which are public and published on the government\u2019s website\u2014but rather in the security cabinet, whose decisions are classified.<br \/>\nThis was the case with the <a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/the-security-and-political-cabinet-approved-the-establishment-of-9-new-settlements-by-authorizing-10-illegal-outposts-in-the-occupied-territories\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">decision to establish 9 settlements<\/a> (and legalize 10 outposts) in February 2023, the decisions in June 2024 <a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/israeli-government-assumes-authorities-of-the-palestinian-authority-in-area-b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">to begin demolishing Palestinian homes in Area B<\/a> and to establish <a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/cabinet-decision-5-new-settlements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">5 new settlements<\/a>, the March 2025 decisions to establish a &#8220;Voluntary Emigration Administration&#8221; for Palestinians from Gaza and to formally <a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/the-cabinet-establishes-13-official-settlements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recognize 13 existing settlements<\/a>, and the decision from about two weeks ago to begin <a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/cabinet-decision-land-registration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">land registration procedures<\/a> in the West Bank.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">It is possible that beyond the desire to conceal the information and make it harder for the public to criticize the government&#8217;s actions in the occupied territories, the secrecy stems from concerns about <strong>the proceedings in the International Criminal Court<\/strong>, which has begun investigating Israel\u2019s settlement construction and development as possible war crimes.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Because the decision itself was not published, we have no definitive information about the exact location of the new settlements. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/israel-news\/2025-05-28\/ty-article\/.premium\/israeli-cabinet-approves-construction-of-22-new-settlements-some-deep-in-west-bank\/00000197-17c2-d57f-a7d7-3fe261d00000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media reports<\/a>, 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/what-is-the-settlement-division\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Settlement Division<\/a> for this purpose.<\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">The New Settlements \u2013 Legalizing Outposts and Establishing New Settlements Deep in the West Bank<\/h3>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">All the new settlements are in areas deep inside the West Bank\u2014territories 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/the-trump-plan-a-plan-for-annexation-not-for-peace\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trump\u2019s annexation plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">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: <strong>Atarot Eder<\/strong> &#8211; between the villages of A-Tira and Beit Likqya, and <strong>Beit Hororn North<\/strong> 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.<br \/>\nIn 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 &#8216;Ur A-Fouqa village, where Israelis were not allowed to pass.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-43979\" src=\"http:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Settlements_Near_443_ENG-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1250\" height=\"753\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Settlements_Near_443_ENG-1.jpg 1772w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Settlements_Near_443_ENG-1-161x97.jpg 161w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Settlements_Near_443_ENG-1-330x199.jpg 330w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Settlements_Near_443_ENG-1-768x462.jpg 768w, https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Settlements_Near_443_ENG-1-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1250px) 100vw, 1250px\" \/><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">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 &#8211; Homesh and Sa-Nur. The settlements of El-Nave and Maoz Zvi are in the area of Jenin.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Of the 22 settlements approved by the cabinet:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Twelve<\/strong> of the settlements decided upon by the cabinet <strong>are illegal outposts<\/strong> and farms established in recent years, which will now be legalized as official settlements.<br \/>\n<strong>Nine<\/strong> of them <strong>are completely new settlements<\/strong> (in one of which construction has already begun in recent days &#8211; Beit Horon North, on the lands of Ein Ariq west of Ramallah).<br \/>\n<strong>One<\/strong> is an <strong>existing settlement<\/strong> (Nofei Prat) that is officially considered a \u201cneighborhood\u201d of another settlement (Kfar Adumim), and it will now be recognized as an independent settlement.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">3 settlements are in the Jenin district &#8211; Elnaveh, Maoz Zvi and Sa-Nur;<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">4 settlements are in the Hebron district &#8211; Maalot Halhul, Afeka, Yonadav and Mitzpe Ziv;<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">5 settlements are in the Jordan Valley &#8211; Ir Hatmarim, Kedem Arava, Gadi Camp, Gvionit and Tevez;<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">3 settlements are in the Nablus district &#8211; Rehavam, Mt. Ibal and Homesh;<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">5 settlements are in the Ramallah district &#8211; Atarot Eder, Beit Horon North, Inbar, Ahiya, Adei Ad;<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">1 settlement is in the Jerusalem district &#8211; Nofei Prat;<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">and 1 settlement is in the Salfit district &#8211; Havot Yair.<\/p>\n<table width=\"759\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"84\"><strong>Name<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"104\"><strong>Municipality<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"84\"><strong>District<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"217\"><strong>Location<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"90\"><strong>Current Status<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"180\"><strong>Comments<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Atarot Eder<\/td>\n<td>Binyamin<\/td>\n<td>Ramallah<\/td>\n<td>Between A-Tira and Beit Liqiya<\/td>\n<td>New<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Beit Horon North<\/td>\n<td>Binyamin<\/td>\n<td>Ramallah<\/td>\n<td>South of Ein Ariq<\/td>\n<td>New<\/td>\n<td>Works started a few days ago<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Inbar<\/td>\n<td>Binyamin<\/td>\n<td>Ramallah<\/td>\n<td>West of Nili<\/td>\n<td>New<\/td>\n<td>Near Hessed Olam Farm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ahiya<\/td>\n<td>Binyamin<\/td>\n<td>Ramallah<\/td>\n<td>East of Shilo<\/td>\n<td>Outpost<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Nofei Prat<\/td>\n<td>Binyamin<\/td>\n<td>Jerusalem<\/td>\n<td>North of Maale Adumim<\/td>\n<td>Settlement<\/td>\n<td>Officially a neighborhood of Kfar Adumim<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Adei Ad<\/td>\n<td>Binyamin<\/td>\n<td>Ramallah<\/td>\n<td>East of Shilo<\/td>\n<td>Outpost<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ir Hatmarim<\/td>\n<td>Jordan Valley<\/td>\n<td>Jericho<\/td>\n<td>North of Jericho<\/td>\n<td>Outpost<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Gvionit<\/td>\n<td>Jordan Valley<\/td>\n<td>Tubas<\/td>\n<td>East of the settlement of Hemdat<\/td>\n<td>New<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Tevez<\/td>\n<td>Jordan Valley<\/td>\n<td>Tubas<\/td>\n<td>West of the settlement of Rotem<\/td>\n<td>New<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Gadi Camp<\/td>\n<td>Jordan Valley<\/td>\n<td>Jericho<\/td>\n<td>North of the settlement of Masu&#8217;a<\/td>\n<td>Outpost<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Maalot Halhul<\/td>\n<td>Gush Etzion<\/td>\n<td>Hebron<\/td>\n<td>East of Halhul<\/td>\n<td>New<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Afeka<\/td>\n<td>Har Hevron<\/td>\n<td>Hebron<\/td>\n<td>South of Dura<\/td>\n<td>Outpost<\/td>\n<td>Otniel Farm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Yonadav<\/td>\n<td>Har Hevron<\/td>\n<td>Hebron<\/td>\n<td>South of Dahariya<\/td>\n<td>New<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mitzpe Ziv<\/td>\n<td>Har Hevron<\/td>\n<td>Hebron<\/td>\n<td>South of Bani Na&#8217;im<\/td>\n<td>Outpost<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kedem Arava<\/td>\n<td>Megilot<\/td>\n<td>Jericho<\/td>\n<td>South east of Jericho<\/td>\n<td>Outpost<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Homesh<\/td>\n<td>Shomron<\/td>\n<td>Nablus<\/td>\n<td>North of Burqa<\/td>\n<td>Outpost<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sa-Nur<\/td>\n<td>Shomron<\/td>\n<td>Jenin<\/td>\n<td>North of Silet a-Dhahr<\/td>\n<td>New<\/td>\n<td>Evaquated in 2005 as part of the disingagement plan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mt. Ibal<\/td>\n<td>Shomron<\/td>\n<td>Nablus<\/td>\n<td>North of Nablus<\/td>\n<td>New<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>El-Nave<\/td>\n<td>Shomron<\/td>\n<td>Jenin<\/td>\n<td>South of Zabda<\/td>\n<td>Outpost<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Rehavam<\/td>\n<td>Shomron<\/td>\n<td>Nablus<\/td>\n<td>South of Aqraba<\/td>\n<td>Outpost<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Maoz Zvi<\/td>\n<td>Shomron<\/td>\n<td>Jenin<\/td>\n<td>South of Ya&#8217;bed<\/td>\n<td>Outpost<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Havot Yair<\/td>\n<td>Shomron<\/td>\n<td>Salfit<\/td>\n<td>North of Qarawat Bani Hassan<\/td>\n<td>Outpost<\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More than 50 new settlements announced by this government<\/h3>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Since the government was formed in December 2022, it has decided to establish <strong>49 new official settlements<\/strong>. In addition, it has begun the legalization process for 7 illegal outposts, which will be recognized as \u201cneighborhoods\u201d of existing settlements:<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In February 2023, the cabinet decided to establish <a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/the-security-and-political-cabinet-approved-the-establishment-of-9-new-settlements-by-authorizing-10-illegal-outposts-in-the-occupied-territories\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">9 new settlements<\/a> and legalize an additional outpost as a neighborhood of one of them.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In June 2024, the cabinet decided to legalize<a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/cabinet-decision-5-new-settlements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> 5 more outposts<\/a> as new settlements.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In March 2025, the cabinet decided to recognize <a href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/the-cabinet-establishes-13-official-settlements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">13 settlements<\/a> previously considered \u201cneighborhoods\u201d of other settlements as independent settlements.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">And now the cabinet has decided to establish 22 settlements: <strong>12 of them are existing outposts<\/strong> that will be legalized, <strong>one will be recognized<\/strong> as an independent settlement, and <strong>9 are entirely new<\/strong> settlements.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In addition to this, since the government was established, procedures have begun to legalize 7 more outposts as neighborhoods of existing settlements: Nativ Ha&#8217;avot, Nof Harim, HaYovel, Palgei Mayim, Givat Hanan, Bnei Adam &#8211; 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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&#8230;  <a class=\"excerpt-read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/cabinet-decision-22-settlements\" title=\"Read The Cabinet Decided on the Establishment of 22 New Settlements in the West Bank\">Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":43985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,191],"tags":[3285,45,1353],"class_list":["post-43923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-settlement-watch","category-outposts","tag-farm-outposts","tag-illegal-outposts","tag-israeli-government"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43923","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\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43923"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43923\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43998,"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43923\/revisions\/43998"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peacenow.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}