Türkiye has criticised Israel's approval of 34 new illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling it a "serious violation of international law and UN resolutions."
"The Netanyahu government’s approval of the establishment of 34 new settlements in the West Bank constitutes a serious violation of international law and UN resolutions," a foreign ministry statement said on Thursday.
Noting that Tel Aviv is undermining the two-state solution and deepening its occupation policies, the statement urged the global community to take action "in the face of these unlawful initiatives."
Earlier in the day, Israel’s Channel 24 reported that the security cabinet “secretly” approved the establishment of 34 illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank during a recent session.
The broadcaster did not specify the exact date of the decision but said it was taken during the US-Israeli war against Iran that began on February 28.
“The Security Cabinet secretly approved the construction of 34 new settlements in the West Bank, a record number passed in a single move during the campaign against Iran,” the channel said.
The approved sites include locations within Palestinian neighbourhoods in the northern West Bank and remote areas rarely reached by Israeli forces, the broadcaster said.
“This is the largest number of settlements ever approved in a single cabinet session,” it added.
According to the report, the total number of illegal settlements approved by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since it came to power in late 2022 rose to 103.
The international community and the United Nations consider the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, occupied Palestinian territory, and regard Israeli settlement activity there as “illegal” under international law.
About 750,000 Israeli occupiers live in 141 illegal settlements and 224 outposts across the occupied West Bank, including 250,000 in 15 illegal settlements in East Jerusalem.
In recent years, Israeli forces and occupiers have intensified activities across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, involving arrests, killings, property destruction and the displacement of Palestinians, alongside continued illegal settlement expansion.
Palestinian officials warn that such actions could pave the way for Israel to formally annex the occupied West Bank, effectively ending prospects for a Palestinian state as envisioned in UN resolutions.
In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
