Türkiye says Israel's approval of 34 new West Bank settlements 'serious violation of international law'

Türkiye on Thursday criticized Israel's approval of 34 new West Bank settlements, calling it "serious violation of international law and UN resolutions."

"The Netanyahu government’s approval of the establishment of 34 new settlements in the West Bank constitutes a serious violation of international law and UN resolutions," a Foreign Ministry statement said.

Noting that Tel Aviv is undermining the two-state solution, deepening its occupation policies, the statement urged the global community to take action "in the face of these unlawful initiatives."

Earlier in the day, Israel’s Channel 24 reported that the security cabinet “secretly” approved the establishment of 34 illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank during a recent session.

The broadcaster did not specify the exact date of the decision but said it was taken during the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began Feb. 28.

“The Security Cabinet secretly approved the construction of 34 new settlements in the West Bank, a record number passed in a single move during the campaign against Iran,” the channel said.

The approved sites include locations within Palestinian neighborhoods in the northern West Bank and remote areas rarely reached by Israeli forces, the broadcaster said.

“This is the largest number of settlements ever approved in a single cabinet session,” it added.

According to the report, the total number of illegal settlements approved by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since it came to power in late 2022 rose to 103.