News

Tel Aviv advances de facto annexation of occupied West Bank with massive settlement expansion

June 4, 2026

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a new and major illegal settlement project in the occupied West Bank on 3 June, which aims to see the construction of around 2,000 houses on Palestinian land.

According to the minister, 1,006 housing units will be in a new settlement near the occupied holy city of Jerusalem.

Over 920 are planned near occupied Nablus and another 234 near the city of Hebron. “We are continuing to build the Land of Israel in practice,” Smotrich said.

The settlements will “strengthen our hold on the land, reinforce Israel’s security, and establish clear facts on the ground that prevent the creation of an Arab terror state in the heart of the country.”

Smotrich holds significant authority over Israel’s Civil Administration in the occupied territory.

In the summer of 2023, around six months after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government came to power, significant portions of the Civil Administration in the West Bank – an Israeli military body – were placed under Smotrich’s authority.

This gave the minister free rein to swiftly expand illegal settlements.

After holding illegal sales of stolen land from the West bank, Park East Synagogue invites as a speaker Betzalel Smotrich, who is himself an illegal settler in the West Bank, oversees the expansion of settlements, and actively advocates for the eradication of Palestinians in the… https://t.co/csigjXGSzg

— DRUM #CeasefireNow (@DesisRisingUp) June 2, 2026

Smotrich’s announcement on Wednesday comes as Tel Aviv is also moving to seize private Palestinian land around an archeological site in the occupied West Bank.

The Civil Administration announced on 2 June that it has started to expropriate 320 dunams (about 80 acres) of land for the “preservation and development” of the Herodium – a massive fortress complex built between 23 and 15 BC.

“[The expropriation] is being advanced in accordance with the law, following comprehensive professional assessments conducted by the Civil Administration’s Staff Officer for Archaeology and Staff Officer for Nature Reserves,” the administration said in a statement.

“Their findings pointed to an urgent need to regulate the area and promote preservation efforts at the site in order to prevent damage to archaeological remains of unique historical and cultural significance,” it added.

Since Netanyahu’s government took office in late 2022, Israeli authorities have accelerated plans for the de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem.

In February, the Israeli government approved a land registration process allowing Israel to claim territory in the occupied West Bank as “state property” if Palestinians cannot prove ownership.

A few weeks later, dozens of new illegal settlements were approved.

Middle East Eye (MEE) released an investigation in May detailing the “New Nakba” that has escalated against the Palestinian communities of occupied East Jerusalem since 7 October 2023.

According to the investigation, 20,000 Palestinian-owned homes are currently under Israeli demolition orders across occupied East Jerusalem.

Israel is also moving forward with plans to steal large amounts of Palestinian-owned property near Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Tel Aviv is openly working to establish continuity between illegal settlements in order to solidify its control over the West Bank and the city of Jerusalem, and block any prospect of Palestinian statehood.