Israel Approves 2,162 New West Bank Settlement Homes

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the approval of 2,162 new Jewish homes across three settlements in the occupied West Bank on June 3, 2026. The expansion includes 1,006 units in Gevaot near Jerusalem, 922 in Har Brakha near Nablus, and 234 in Kiryat Arba near Hebron. The plans were approved by the Higher Planning Council of the Civil Administration, a department of the Israeli Defense Ministry, under the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Smotrich stated the construction would reinforce Israeli security and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. In response, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Presidency condemned the move as provocative and a blatant challenge to international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2334. Palestinian officials warned that the expansion could trigger further regional violence and urged the United States administration to intervene immediately to stop the construction.

While the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has been less critical of settlement growth, Trump stated in September 2025 that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. The United Arab Emirates has echoed this position, cautioning the Israeli government against annexation. Palestinian officials asserted that these construction plans will not deter their efforts to establish an independent state based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.