Israel has unveiled plans for one of its proposed new settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who announced this on Wednesday, escalating tensions just a day before crucial peace talks in Gaza aimed at preventing a regional war. The far-right minister stated that this move was in response to actions by the Palestinian West Bank leadership and countries that have recognized a Palestinian state.
"No anti-Israel or anti-Zionist decision will halt the development of the settlement. We will persist in opposing the perilous notion of a Palestinian state. This is the mission of my life," Smotrich declared. Most United Nations member states view settlements in the West Bank and other territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war as illegal under international law. Israel contests this, citing historical and biblical connections to the land.
In June, Israel announced plans to legalize five outposts in the West Bank, establish three new settlements, and seize large tracts of land where Palestinians aim to establish an independent state, intensifying Palestinian frustration. The Palestinian Authority, which has limited control over the West Bank under Israeli military occupation, reiterated that settlement construction and the demolition of Palestinian homes amount to ethnic cleansing, a claim Israel denies.
In May, Spain, Ireland, and Norway joined the majority of UN states that recognize a Palestinian state, believing that the establishment of such a state alongside Israel is the only path to enduring peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel criticized these countries, accusing them of supporting Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, and condemned the Palestinian Authority for backing an international case accusing Israel of genocide, which Israel firmly denies.
A new round of internationally mediated talks aimed at ending the 10-month-old war between Israel and Hamas and securing the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza is scheduled to take place in Qatar on Thursday, although Hamas has stated it will not attend. The new 60-hectare settlement, named Nachal Heletz, will be part of the Gush Etzion settlement cluster and connect the region with nearby Jerusalem, according to Smotrich, who leads a pro-settler party and is himself a settler.
Peace Now, an Israeli NGO, commented: "Smotrich continues to promote de facto annexation, ignoring the UNESCO Convention that Israel is a signatory to, and we will all bear the consequences." The Gaza war risks escalating into a broader regional conflict involving Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel is preparing for significant Iranian and Hezbollah attacks following the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut and the political leader of Hamas in Tehran.
Little progress has been made towards achieving Palestinian statehood since the signing of the Oslo Accords in the early 1990s.
