IDF Central Command Approves 18 New Jurisdiction Areas to Expand West Bank Settlements

The IDF Central Command chief signed off on 18 new jurisdiction areas for settlements across Judea and Samaria on Tuesday. This move includes new settlements, expansions of both young and established communities, and significant growth in Efrat, Karnei Shomron, and Oranit. The initiative is part of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's policy to strengthen and regulate settlement expansion, with 70 new jurisdiction areas approved in less than a year.

The new jurisdiction areas cover settlements in various regions including Binyamin, Sha'noar Mizrach and Shira in Samaria, Elisha and Tzuri in the Jordan Valley, and Keren Ya'ar, Mis'ot Har, Givot Adumim, and Pnei Kedem in Gush Etzion. Adjustments were also made to the jurisdiction boundaries of older settlements such as Leshem, Itamar, and Reihan in Samaria, and Mishkayot in the Jordan Valley. Several local councils are expected to expand significantly, including the Dorot neighborhood in Karnei Shomron, which will join the council's master plan with the Israel Land Authority. Efrat will expand the Givat HaAytam neighborhood, enabling thousands of new housing units, and Oranit will extend beyond the separation barrier for the first time, adding hundreds of housing units to the north.

Smotrich praised the approval as "another significant step in the revolution we are making in Judea and Samaria," emphasizing the strengthening of new, young, and veteran settlements. He contrasted this with the previous government led by Eisenkot, Lieberman, and Golan, which he said planned to evacuate settlements and establish a Palestinian state. The expansion reflects the current government's commitment to fortifying Israeli presence in the West Bank.