Israel Approves Over 1,500 Housing Units in West Bank Settlements

Israel's Supreme Planning Council is set to approve plans for 1,516 new housing units across settlements in the West Bank, including the Jordan Valley, Samaria, Benjamin, and Gush Etzion regions. The move, spearheaded by Finance Minister and Minister of Defense Bezalel Smotrich, aims to strengthen Israeli presence and meet growing development needs and demand.

Key projects include 101 units in Ma'oz (Ma'oz Tzvi), 259 in Eli Zahav, and 95 in Peduel within the Samaria Regional Council. In the Benjamin Regional Council, plans for 219 units in Adi Ad and 200 units in Talmon will be advanced. The Jordan Valley will see 281 units approved for the new settlement of Ein Yatav, a settlement whose establishment was approved by the security cabinet in December 2025 and has since received official recognition.

Additionally, 365 housing units will be approved for Ma'ale Amos in the Gush Etzion Regional Council, an area experiencing high demand for housing. Minister Smotrich stated that these plans are crucial for Israel's stability, security, and resilience, emphasizing their role in securing the country's eastern border and other strategic areas. He contrasted this with a perceived desire by a previous government to establish a Palestinian state, asserting that his government is acting to regulate and expand settlements through concrete actions rather than words.