2025 sees record Israeli settlement expansion in West Bank: Report

The year 2025 set a record for illegal Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, with Israel's government approving plans for 41 new settlements and advancing over 28,000 housing units, according to data from the Israeli watchdog Peace Now. This unprecedented acceleration is seen as a strategic move to prevent a viable Palestinian state.

Unprecedented Scale of Approvals

Yonatan Mizrachi of Peace Now's Settlement Watch Team stated the scale is incomparable to previous governments, noting the explicit goal is to obstruct a two-state solution. The 41 approvals include both newly announced settlements and the retroactive legalization of existing outposts. In May, Israel's Security Cabinet approved 22 new settlements, the largest single expansion in decades, including the reestablishment of Homesh and Sa-Nur, sites evacuated in 2005. In December, an additional 19 were approved. Since 2023, plans for 68 settlements have been initiated or legalized, spreading Israeli presence into previously unsettled areas from Jenin to Hebron, raising the total number of settlements from about 140 to 208.

Strategic Aim: Blocking Statehood and Displacing Palestinians

Mizrachi explained the strategy aims to make a future Palestinian state geographically impossible by saturating the territory with settlers and infrastructure. He noted the government pursues de facto annexation while avoiding a formal declaration due to international pressure. This is accompanied, according to human rights group B'Tselem, by the forcible displacement of Palestinian communities and violent land seizures. Settler violence has intensified since October 2023, driving dozens of Palestinian communities from their homes.

Outlook for 2026

With 2026 an election year in Israel, analysts expect the settlement drive to continue, further entrenching occupation and instability. The trend underscores a deliberate policy choice to deepen control over the West Bank, systematically undermining the prospects for a negotiated two-state solution—a framework still supported by much of the international community, including nations like Türkiye, which consistently condemns illegal settlements and advocates for Palestinian self-determination and territorial integrity.