Israel’s security cabinet has approved a plan to designate 13 Jewish settlements in the West Bank as independent entities, separating them from their parent communities, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Sunday.
The move follows recent approvals for tens of thousands of new housing units across the region and comes amid heightened security concerns following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack.
Smotrich, posting on X, hailed the decision as a step toward “actual sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” the term Israel uses for the West Bank. “We continue to lead a revolution of normalisation and regulation in the settlements. Instead of hiding and apologising – we raise the flag, build and settle,” he said, arguing that recognizing each settlement as independent will resolve longstanding management challenges.
The decision has deepened tensions in a region already marked by conflict. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the separation as a disregard for international legitimacy and resolutions. Hamas, the militant group that governs Gaza, denounced the move as a “desperate attempt to impose realities on the ground and consolidate colonial occupation on Palestinian lands.”
Israeli officials have cited security concerns as a key factor in the decision. In recent weeks, Israel has intensified counter-terrorism operations in the West Bank, targeting suspected militants in response to fears of further attacks similar to those on October 7, 2023.
Around 700,000 Israeli settlers now live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and east Jerusalem—territory captured by Israel in 1967 during the six-day war. While most of the international community considers these settlements illegal under international law, Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land.
The move has been welcomed by pro-settler politicians, with Smotrich—a prominent figure in the far-right Religious Zionism party and a key coalition partner of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—asserting that the new status will facilitate the settlements’ growth and development. Critics, however, warn that such unilateral actions could further complicate the already fraught prospects for a lasting peace in the region.
The Houthi group in Yemen claimed responsibility for a series of missile and drone attacks, targeting Ben Gurion airport in Israel and U.S. warships in the Red Sea.
The Israeli military announced that its 36th Division, which previously carried out operations in Lebanon, is now preparing for potential activity in Gaza.
An Israeli airstrike hit Gaza's Nasser hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least five and wounding several others, according to medics.
Israel's parliamentary finance committee approved the 2025 state budget late on Sunday, paving the way for a final parliamentary vote before the March 31 deadline, crucial to preventing the government's collapse.
ope Francis' health was so precarious during his recent 38-day hospital stay that his doctors considered halting treatment at one point, allowing him to pass away peacefully, according to the head of his medical team.
As famine continues to ravage parts of Sudan, humanitarian workers report that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), engaged in an ongoing conflict with the Sudanese army, are tightening their grip on relief supplies.
In an effort to rejuvenate peace talks surrounding the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, Southern and Eastern African countries have expanded their team of former heads of state overseeing the mediation process.
The European Union's antitrust regulators are poised to close their year-long investigation into Apple's browser options on iPhones, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Norway’s Defence Minister, Tore O. Sandvik, affirmed that the United States remains committed to European defence, but emphasized that Europe must contribute more financially to ensure the U.S. can uphold its security commitments.
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated on Thursday that purchasing U.S. weapons does not pose a security risk for his country, but emphasized the need for Europe to reduce its reliance on American defense systems. His comments come amid growing discussions within Europe.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams completed an unexpectedly long 286-day mission on the ISS, returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX capsule after delays caused by technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner.
Mexican forces have dismantled a massive meth lab in Zacatecas, dealing a blow to a Sinaloa Cartel faction.
Serbia’s parliament has officially accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, setting a 30-day deadline for the formation of a new government or the calling of snap elections.
A devastating overnight drone attack on Kyiv, attributed to Russian forces, resulted in the deaths of three people, including a five-year-old child, and left ten others injured.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has instructed its employees to label documents related to the agency’s review of grants and contracts under the controversial DOGE initiative with "legal privilege," in a bid to prevent them from being disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia hosted the presentation of the Armenian translation of the book by Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi, titled "The Power of Negotiations: Principles and Rules of Political and Diplomatic Negotiations."
Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan stated on Tuesday that there are no expected changes in Armenia’s relations with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), despite ongoing discussions regarding the country’s stance on the military alliance.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a delegation led by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who is in Yerevan on an official visit.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, speaking at a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, highlighted the significance of the existing economic cooperation between the two countries.
ope Francis' health was so precarious during his recent 38-day hospital stay that his doctors considered halting treatment at one point, allowing him to pass away peacefully, according to the head of his medical team.
As famine continues to ravage parts of Sudan, humanitarian workers report that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), engaged in an ongoing conflict with the Sudanese army, are tightening their grip on relief supplies.
In an effort to rejuvenate peace talks surrounding the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, Southern and Eastern African countries have expanded their team of former heads of state overseeing the mediation process.
The European Union's antitrust regulators are poised to close their year-long investigation into Apple's browser options on iPhones, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Norway’s Defence Minister, Tore O. Sandvik, affirmed that the United States remains committed to European defence, but emphasized that Europe must contribute more financially to ensure the U.S. can uphold its security commitments.
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