As Israel goes to the polls, settler attacks and expansion intensify in West Bank
As Israel approaches elections, the expansion of settlements in the West Bank has intensified, with significant increases in housing tenders and illegal outposts. Data from activist groups suggest a rapid restructuring of the region, complicating the status of Palestinian land.
Why it matters
The expansion of settlements is a central point of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, impacting international law and regional stability.
While Israel continues to attack one of Palestine’s two non-contiguous regions, Gaza, it is slowly and violently restructuring the other, West Bank.
Israel’s occupation of Judea and Samaria, the biblical term for West Bank used by the Israeli government, began in 1967 following the Six-Day War. Despite being considered illegal under international law, Israel has slowly been asserting “sovereignty” over the region with increased restrictions for Palestinians and expansion of Israeli settlements. And this has only intensified since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
Nowhere is this clearer than in data on settlements and attacks on Palestinians. According to Peace Now, an Israeli activist group that tracks settlements, fewer than 5,000 Israelis lived in the West Bank in 1967. More than half a century later, the region now houses more than five lakh settlers. That is, around 5% of Israel’s population now live in the occupied West Bank.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in