JERUSALEM

Israeli authorities plan to approve the construction of 2,749 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank within six weeks, an Israeli anti-settlement group said on Monday.

"If this week’s plans are approved, it will mean that 2,749 housing units will have been advanced in a month and a half,” Peace Now, which monitors settlement activities, said in a statement.

The organization noted that at this pace, 2025 could witness "record numbers" of settlement units promoted in the West Bank, averaging 1,800 units per month.

According to Peace Now, the Higher Planning Council (HPC) of the Israeli Civil Administration is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to approve the building of 372 housing units in the Beitar Illit settlement, south of Jerusalem.

"This meeting is part of a recent trend of weekly sessions to promote settlement construction plans, while no similar discussions are taking place to approve Palestinian construction in Area C," the organization said.

Area C, which constitutes about 60% of the occupied West Bank, is under full Israeli control.

The 1995 Oslo Accords divided the occupied West Bank into three areas: Area A under full Palestinian control, Area B under Israeli security control and Palestinian civil and administrative control, and Area C under full Israeli civil, administrative, and security control.

Peace Now said since the current government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office in late 2022, record numbers of settlement units have been approved in the West Bank.

"In 2023, the HPC approved 12,349 housing units – a record high. In 2024, 9,884 housing units were approved," it added.

The anti-settlement group said the shift to weekly approvals stems from political changes introduced by the Netanyahu government, which in June 2023 removed the requirement for the defense minister’s approval at every stage of settlement planning.

Previously, settlement construction plans required prior approval from the defense minister, but in recent years, the minister limited planning sessions to about four per year, approving thousands of units at each session.

However, in recent weeks, the process has changed significantly, with the HPC now meeting weekly to approve hundreds of settlement units at each session.

“This systematic approach aims to normalize settlement planning and attract less public and international attention and criticism,” Peace Now said.

The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala