Defense Minister Katz Says Israel Has Approved 104 Illegal Settlements in the West Bank Since 2022

Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank. (Wikimedia Commons/Ralf Roletschek)

JAKARTA - Israeli Defense Minister Katz said on Friday, the Israeli government has approved the establishment of 104 illegal settlements and about 160 settlement farms in the occupied West Bank since its formation in November 2022, as reported by Channel 7 Israel.

Speaking during a meeting with leaders of the ruling Likud party in Jerusalem, Katz said the government had taken "a series of important decisions regarding the expansion of settlements in Judea and Samaria," using Israel's term for the West Bank.

"We are not only strengthening security, but also strengthening settlements," Katz said, launching Anadolu (31/7).

"The government approved the establishment of 104 new settlements in Judea and Samaria, along with nearly 160 new farms," he added.

Katz described the move as "an unprecedented step that reflects a commitment to strengthen Israel's control over the territory."

The West Bank has witnessed an increase in the number of occupations setting up outposts in various areas in recent weeks.

Outposts, which are established by the occupation without official Israeli government approval, are often the core of settlements that are later legalized or connected to existing settlement infrastructure, according to Palestinian and Israeli groups that monitor settlement activity.

According to the Israeli settlement watchdog, Peace Now, there are currently 141 settlements and 360 settlement outposts in the West Bank, in addition to 15 settlements in East Jerusalem.

UN Security Council Resolution 2334, issued in 2016, states that Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, have no legal validity and are a flagrant violation of international law.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice stated in its advisory opinion that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territories was illegal and must be ended as soon as possible.

Along with the construction of settlement outposts, the occupied West Bank has witnessed an increase in settler attacks on Palestinians and their property, amid accusations from Palestinians and Israelis as well as international human rights groups that the Israeli army protects the settlers and sometimes takes part in the attacks.

According to the Palestinian Commission for Colonization and Resistance to the Wall, the occupiers carried out 3,488 attacks against Palestinians and their property during the first half of 2026, including attacks on people, property, and land, the construction of settlement outposts, and the prevention of farmers' access to their land.

Palestinians warn that Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank, including home demolitions and settlement expansion, pave the way for formal annexation, undermining the possibility of a Palestinian state based on relevant UN resolutions.