Islam Times – Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot condemned “Israel’s” settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, warning that the move deepens illegality and undermines the prospects for the so-called “two-state” solution.”The announcement by the ‘Israeli’ cabinet to establish and legalize 19 settlements in the West Bank is yet another blatant and unacceptable violation of international law. It is a deliberate opposition to the two-state solution, which is the best and only option for guaranteeing the lasting security of both Palestinians and ‘Israelis’,” Prevot said on X on Monday.
“Israel’s” decision, approved by the cabinet, involves a mix of newly designated settlements and the retroactive legalization of previously unauthorized settler outposts. Several of the sites had long existed without official approval under “Israeli” law, while others are linked to areas evacuated during “Israel’s” 2005 disengagement.
The move is widely seen as consolidating permanent “Israeli” control over large parts of the occupied territory.
The decision forms part of a broader acceleration of settlement expansion. Watchdog groups and European officials report that since late 2022, “Israeli” authorities have approved or legalized at least 69 new settlements and outposts, raising the total number of settlements from around 140 to more than 210.
An EU assessment estimates that by the end of 2024, the settler population had reached over 737,000, including more than 500,000 settlers in the West Bank and more than 230,000 in occupied al-Quds.
The settlement plan, backed by far-right “Israeli” figures like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, aims to expand settlements and opposes a Palestinian state, despite widespread international condemnation.
The settlement announcement comes amid rising violence in the West Bank, with the UN reporting 1,017 Palestinian deaths, including 221 children, between October 2023 and November 2025.
Settler violence has surged alongside the killings, with UN monitors recording over 260 attacks in one month in 2025—the highest monthly total since 2006. These included arson, shootings, and assaults on Palestinian communities.
Settlement expansion is seen as a tool for territorial seizure and demographic change. Under international law, “Israeli” settlements are illegal, as they involve transferring civilians into occupied territory.
Observers argue that approving and legalizing settlements fragments Palestinian land, fuels settler violence, and solidifies a one-state reality marked by occupation and unequal rights, rather than justice for Palestinians.