Palestinian Authority Reports Surge in Israeli Settlement Plans
The Palestinian Commission for Resisting the Wall and Settlements announced on Sunday that the number of Israeli settlement plans in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has risen to 153 since the beginning of 2026. These plans aim to construct thousands of settlement units.
According to the commission's monitoring and documentation, 100 plans targeting 12,300 settlement units have been advanced in the West Bank from the start of the year until September 13. Additionally, 53 plans for 5,783 units in East Jerusalem, within the Israeli municipal boundaries, are included in this total.
In September alone, 12 new settlement plans were advanced, proposing the construction of 2,340 units across 1,761 dunams. A previous report by the commission indicated that Israeli authorities had studied 524 structural plans for settlements between October 7, 2023, and June 30, 2026.
The Israeli government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, has intensified settlement expansion efforts in the West Bank since its formation in late 2022, approving the establishment of 104 new settlements during that period. Israel has occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 1967, and international law considers Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territory illegal.
