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Israel legalizes five illegal settlements in West Bank, defying global outrage

Wednesday, 14 January 2026 6:54 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 14 January 2026 6:54 PM ]

A view of Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the occupied West Bank. ( File Photo by AP)

The Israeli regime has granted official licenses to legalize five unauthorized settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank, intensifying its land grab and defying widespread international condemnation.

Israel's far-right Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced the move on X on Wednesday, revealing that Israeli authorities have assigned official "settlement codes" to the Homesh settlement in the northern West Bank, alongside four other outposts.

The other settlements include Yondif in the al-Khalil Hills, Jibot in the Gush Etzion bloc south of occupied al-Quds, Betron in the Jordan Valley, and Kedom Arava in the north.

A "settlement code" is an administrative designation by Israeli authorities that formally recognizes an outpost’s existence and integrates it into official planning, infrastructure, and services.

In the past month alone, Israeli authorities have issued at least 20 new settlement codes, further accelerating the expansion of illegal settlements.

Smotrich described the move as continuing efforts “to crush the idea of a Palestinian state,” stating that settlement activity in the West Bank will continue to expand unchecked.

This announcement comes in the wake of Smotrich's earlier proposal to annex more than 80 percent of the occupied West Bank, a move aimed at permanently blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The international community, including the United Nations, has repeatedly warned that the expansion of settlements in the West Bank undermines the viability of a "two-state solution."

Palestinian authorities have long called on the international community to apply pressure on Israel to halt its settlement activities, which are deemed illegal under international law.

Despite these calls, Israeli settlement construction continues to intensify, particularly since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began on October 7, 2023.

Since the start of the war, Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East al-Quds, injured nearly 11,000, and detained around 21,000.

These actions, along with home demolitions and forced displacement, are seen as part of Israel's broader strategy to solidify its occupation of Palestinian territories.

In a landmark ruling last July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds. However, Israel has ignored the court's decision, continuing its illegal occupation and settlement expansion with full impunity.

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