Israel approves construction of hundreds of housing units in West Bank

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the approval of hundreds of housing units in three West Bank settlements.

Israel approves construction of hundreds of housing units in West Bank
10 December, 2025   16:56

The Israeli government has approved the construction of 764 new settlement units in three settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli Finance Minister said Wednesday, according to Agence France-Presse.

Smotrich said the approval is part of what he called an "ongoing revolution" to bolster settlements, noting that the Higher Planning Council has approved more than 51,000 settlement units in the West Bank since he took office in late 2022. The West Bank is land the Palestinians seek for their future state.

The new expansions include the settlements of Hashmonaim near the Green Line, and Givat Ze'ev and Beitar Illit adjacent to Jerusalem, as part of a government policy that Smotrich considers "a strategic path to ensure security, growth and continuity of life" within the settlements.

ANHA