Israel's Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced plans on Wednesday (4 June) to expand three Jewish settlements in the West Bank by more than 2,000 homes, drawing condemnation from Palestinian leaders who warned the move could fuel further unrest.
Smotrich said a planning committee had approved the construction of 2,162 new housing units. The plans include 1,006 homes in a new settlement near Jerusalem, 922 near the Palestinian city of Nablus and 234 near Hebron.
"We are continuing to build the Land of Israel in practice," Smotrich said in a statement.
The ultranationalist minister, who holds authority over parts of Israel's civilian administration in the West Bank, said the new homes would "strengthen our hold on the land, reinforce Israel's security, and establish clear facts on the ground that prevent the creation of an Arab terror state in the heart of the country".
He did not say when construction would begin.
Most countries regard Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law and view them as a major obstacle to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel disputes that interpretation.
Since joining the government three years ago, Smotrich has pushed to expand Israel's presence in the West Bank and has repeatedly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition has overseen a significant increase in settlement construction and the establishment of new settlements across the territory.
Palestinians consider the West Bank, along with East Jerusalem and Gaza, to be part of a future independent state. Around 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank alongside approximately three million Palestinians.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has been less critical of the rapid expansion of settlements than previous U.S. administrations. However, Trump said last September that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, a position that angered some Israeli right-wing lawmakers.
The United Arab Emirates has also publicly warned Israel against annexation.
Responding to Wednesday's announcement, the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described Israeli settlement policies as "provocative" and said they were pushing the region towards further rounds of violence. It called on the United States to stop what it described as Israeli "madness".
Smotrich was sanctioned by Britain, France and several other countries, which accused him of inciting violence against Palestinians. He has rejected the sanctions and said they would not alter Israeli policy.
In May, Smotrich said he would wage "war" on the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank, after saying he had been informed that the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court had sought a confidential arrest warrant against him. The ICC has not confirmed that claim.
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