Controversial Legalization: Israel Grants Status to West Bank Settlements

Israel's cabinet's decision to legalize 19 settlements in the West Bank has sparked condemnation from the Palestinian Authority. Proposed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, this move is part of a larger trend of increased settlement construction, challenged by international resolutions and resisted by Palestinian leaders.

Israel has reignited controversy by granting legal status to 19 settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move announced late Thursday and condemned by the Palestinian Authority on Friday. This decision includes two settlements vacated 20 years ago under a security and economic-driven pullout.

Legalizing these settlements, advocated by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz, intensifies the debate over the territory Palestinians view as integral to a future state. Despite international resolutions deeming such settlements illegal, Israel asserts historical claims to the land.

The proliferation of settlements, some unauthorized, has escalated under Israel's current far-right government, further isolating Palestinian towns. A decade after the 2005 evacuation plan by Ariel Sharon, the announcement aggravates tensions in a region central to Palestinian aspirations for statehood.