Abdel Raouf Arnaout and Rania Abushamala
15 July 2026•Update: 15 July 2026
Israel's Security Cabinet has approved the construction of a new illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Wednesday, bringing the number of settlements authorized by the Benjamin Netanyahu government to 104 since 2022.
In a post on the US social media company X, Smotrich said the Cabinet had approved his proposal to establish a new settlement near the settlement of Sanur of the northern West Bank.
The leader of the far-right Religious Zionism party said the latest decision raises the number of illegal settlements approved by the current government to 104 since the government took office in late 2022.
Smotrich described the move as part of a "historic revolution" in the occupied West Bank, claiming it would prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.
"One hundred and four settlements and more than 160 farms will form a defensive wall" for several Israeli cities, he said.
The announcement comes amid an acceleration of illegal Israeli settlement activities in the occupied West Bank ahead of Israel's general election scheduled for Oct. 27.
On Tuesday, Israeli media reported that the Security Cabinet had secretly approved a plan in March 2026 to establish 34 new illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank.
The UN has repeatedly affirmed that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law, warning that they undermine prospects for a two-state solution.
