Israel Approves 34 New West Bank Settlements Amid Palestinian Land Fears

Israel has approved the establishment of 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to reports from several news organizations.

The Israeli rights group Peace Now reported on April 9, 2026, that the Israeli government had made the decision secretly in early April.

International and Palestinian Condemnation

On April 10, 2026, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the approval of the 34 new settlements, stating that the move violates international law.

Israel, the occupying power, has no sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Al-Quds (Jerusalem), and that all its measures aimed at changing the geographic and demographic reality Notice null and void under international law

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

The office of the Palestinian Presidency also condemned the plan, describing it as a flagrant violation of international law.

Government Context and Strategy

These 34 settlements are in addition to 68 others approved since the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to power in 2022.

Sources informed CNN on April 9, 2026, that the Israeli security cabinet had secretly approved the legalization of more than 30 new settler outposts and farms during March 2026.

Unlike previous decisions of this nature, the approval was not publicly announced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich or Defense Minister Israel Katz.

Two sources told CNN that the decision was kept quiet to avoid international criticism amid a rise in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank since the beginning of the Iran war.

The authorization is described as part of a broader effort by the Netanyahu government to expand settlements and strengthen Israel’s control over the land to eliminate the possibility of a future Palestinian state.

Legal Status and Infrastructure

International law considers all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank to be illegal. While outposts are considered illegal under both Israeli and international law, some have historically secured government approval after being established.

Israeli media reports indicate that the current decision includes the construction of water and electricity infrastructure for the outposts.

Data from Peace Now Settlement Watch shows that a record number of 86 new outposts were established in 2025.