Israeli Ministers Announce Settlement Expansion as Lebanon Negotiations Proceed

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's National Security Minister, announced on May 15, 2026, that the Israeli government intends to establish settlements in Lebanon and encourage Palestinian migration from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Speaking at an event in Jerusalem, Ben-Gvir also highlighted harsh restrictions on Palestinian detainees and referenced legislation passed on March 30 that permits the execution of Palestinian prisoners by hanging under a simple judicial majority, without requiring a prosecution request. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination immediately called for the law's repeal.

Two days later, Ben-Gvir reiterated his calls for settlement expansion into southern Lebanon and Palestinian displacement, this time as Israeli and Lebanese representatives sat in Washington for US-sponsored direct negotiations on border demarcation and regional developments. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich simultaneously announced what he termed a "settlement revolution" in the West Bank, stating that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet had approved over 100 new settlements and 600 settler units.

The hardline announcements contrasted sharply with a leaked draft document from indirect negotiations, which outlined a potential agreement: Israel would withdraw military forces from Lebanese territories and abandon expansion schemes in exchange for Lebanon restoring full state sovereignty and ensuring that only the Lebanese army controls security operations. The developments unfolded amid ongoing ceasefire violations in both Gaza and Lebanon.