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Israel expands illegal settlements (redux)

Jun 8, 2025

In Pictures

Israel expands illegal settlements (redux)

The decision to add 22 settlements to the occupied West Bank ignores international law and a landmark UN resolution.

By Danylo HawaleshkaPublished On 8 Jun 20258 Jun 2025

History Illustrated is a series of perspectives that puts news events and current affairs into historical context, using graphics generated with artificial intelligence.

It’s being called the biggest expansion in decades. On May 29, 2025, Israel said it will establish 22 settlements in the occupied West Bank, an act illegal under international law. Israel says it’s only protecting itself.

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The occupation itself began with the Six-Day War in 1967, when Israel captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, and started building settlements on Palestinian land.

In the 1980s, Israeli policy encouraged construction of more settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.

After the Oslo Accords in 1993, commitments were made to freeze settlement construction — but they failed, and the expansions marched on.

Later, in 2005, in a rare victory of sorts for the Palestinians, the Israeli government adopted a Gaza disengagement policy, leading to the withdrawal of all Israeli soldiers and the forced removal of hardline settlers from the territory. That took care of the Gaza hardliners, but settlements kept being built elsewhere, which led to political action.

On December 23, 2016, in a 14-0, with the US abstaining, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2334, which condemns Israeli settlements as a violation of international law.

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Regardless, today there are more than 700,000 settlers, representing about 10 percent of the Israeli population, many of whom continue to commit acts of violence against Palestinians.

Israel already has more than 100 illegal settlements in the West Bank, housing about 500,000 settlers alongside more than three million Palestinians under Israeli military rule.

Palestinians see Israel’s latest plan for the expansion of illegal settlements as a “dangerous escalation”. NGOs like Peace Now in Israel are worried.

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