Bezalel Smotrich Approves 2,162 New Jewish Homes in Occupied West Bank

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Wednesday that a planning committee had approved the construction of 2,162 new Jewish homes in the occupied West Bank, including 1,006 units in a new illegal settlement near Jerusalem, 922 near the city of Nablus, and 234 near Hebron.

“Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced a major expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, as he pushes to annex more of the Palestinian territory”

Al Jazeera

Smotrich said, “We are continuing to build the Land of Israel in practice,” and the plan was framed as pushing to annex more of Palestinian territory.

Al Jazeera

The announcement came as the International Criminal Court in The Hague was seeking a confidential arrest warrant against Smotrich, according to Haaretz, and Haaretz said he “effectively admitted openly to crimes” at a news conference.

Haaretz quoted Smotrich saying, “We have established more than 100 new communities,” and it added that he described 160 farm outposts preserving over [250,000 acres] of state land.

In parallel, the Al Jazeera report said the push for settlements in the occupied West Bank is illegal under international law and condemned by most nations, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s office condemned the decision as “provocative” and warned it was pushing the region toward more violence.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s office condemned Smotrich’s settlement decision and warned that Israel’s “provocative” policies were pushing the region towards more violence, calling on the United States to stop the Israeli “madness.”

Al Jazeera reported that Smotrich said, “We are continuing to build the Land of Israel in practice,” and it described the homes as strengthening Israel’s hold on the land and reinforcing Israel’s security.

AnewZ

The Jerusalem Post reported that the Knesset Plenum approved in its second and third readings late on Wednesday night legislation granting tax benefits for numerous settlements in the West Bank, with the bill passing with 32 lawmakers in favor and 23 opposed.

The Jerusalem Post said the Tax Authority estimated the budget cost of the proposal would be NIS 130 million, and it reported that the bill was sponsored by MK Zvi Sukkot, a member of the right-wing Religious Zionist Party led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Smotrich welcomed the Knesset vote and argued that “an injustice toward tens of thousands of residents of Judea and Samaria living under a continuous security threat has been corrected,” while opposition lawmakers criticized the government’s failure to prioritize aid for the North as the area remains under continued threat from Hezbollah attacks.

Al Jazeera said the settlement expansion was accompanied by developments including Israeli forces delivering demolition notices to shops at the intersection of the town of Bazariya, northwest of Nablus, to make way for a colonial road.

“Israel’s far-right finance minister announced Wednesday plans to expand three Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank by more than 2,000 homes”

Daily Sabah

Al Jazeera also reported that “some settlers stormed the village of Deir Sudan, northwest of Ramallah, accompanied by bulldozers, to seize it,” and it linked the developments to a February land registration process allowing Israel to take territory as “state property” if Palestinians could not prove ownership.

The Jerusalem Post said the tax-benefits legislation would take effect in January 2026 and remain in force until December 31, 2027, and it said the finance minister could extend validity by additional periods of up to two years each subject to approval by the Knesset Finance Committee.

Haaretz described Smotrich as having led a “revolution” in “Judea and Samaria,” and it said he was proud to have led a “dramatic change” that included building roads and regulating the settlement enterprise.

With the ICC seeking a confidential arrest warrant against him, Haaretz said Smotrich held a news conference and “effectively admitted openly to crimes,” while the Al Jazeera report said the ICC has not confirmed the warrant claim and that Smotrich has been sanctioned by the United Kingdom and France and other states that accuse him of inciting violence against Palestinians.