The Palestinian Authority has strongly condemned Israel's recent approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, describing it as a move to tighten control over Palestinian land and undermine the possibility of a future Palestinian state. The Palestinian foreign ministry called the decision a 'dangerous step' that accelerates settlement expansion, annexation, and violence against Palestinians and their property.

Israel's far-right Finance Minister announced the settlements, stating they were located in strategic areas and included the re-establishment of two sites dismantled two decades ago. Five of the approved settlements had previously existed without legal status under Israeli law. The total number of settlements approved in the past three years now stands at 69.

The announcement follows a United Nations report noting that settlement expansion in the West Bank has reached its highest level since at least 2017. Tensions and violence have escalated in the region since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, with significant casualties reported among both Palestinians and Israelis.