### Israel Approves Largest West Bank Settlement Expansion in Decades

In a significant and controversial move, Israel has sanctioned the establishment of 22 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, marking the largest expansion since the Oslo Accords were signed three decades ago. This decision is seen as a continuation of what many describe as a de facto annexation of the disputed territory.

Peace Now, an Israeli organization that monitors settlement activities, condemned the expansion, emphasizing that it represents a substantial escalation amid ongoing conflicts. According to Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who jointly announced the decision, the settlements are intended to solidify Israeli control, impede the creation of a Palestinian state, and ensure future settlement development.

The Palestinian Authority, represented by spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh, decried the expansion as a "dangerous escalation," labeling it a challenge to international laws and legitimacy. Rudeineh warned that this move could perpetuate violence and instability in the already volatile region.

Non-governmental organization Peace Now accused the Israeli government of prioritizing occupation and annexation over peace efforts. According to the NGO, 12 of the new settlements will legalize previously illegal outposts, while nine will be entirely new ventures, and one will convert an existing neighborhood into an independent settlement.

This decision follows months of intensified Israeli military operations in the West Bank, with forces deploying tanks and carrying out numerous raids and arrests, displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians. Notably, two of the new settlements were previously evacuated during Israel's disengagement from parts of the West Bank in 2005, a law that has since been overturned by the current administration.

Finance Minister Smotrich openly celebrated the settlement expansion as a step toward annexation. He stated unequivocally, "The next step - sovereignty! We did not take a foreign land, but the inheritance of our ancestors."

Earlier initiatives by the security cabinet approved a land registration process for Area C of the West Bank, a move which Peace Now described as "a mega theft of Palestinian lands," underscoring the increasing tensions and disputes over the territory.