It is expected that the cabinet will approve the construction of more than 5,000 new settlement units in the West Bank in the coming days, and adding 500 settlement units during the period in which Smotrich continues in his position as Minister of the Israeli Army.

Last week, the cabinet decided to expand construction in the settlements. Today, Wednesday, the additional decision was made, under which the Higher Planning Council will meet today and tomorrow for the purpose of approving more than 5,300 settlement units across the West Bank, according to the news agency "Ma'an."

At the same time, the marketing of more than 500 additional settlement units in the area will be approved.

Since the extremist minister Bezalel Smotrich took office in the Israeli Ministry of Defense, a total of 21,700 settlement units have been approved in the West Bank, in addition to 2,600 units approved for marketing, totaling more than 24,000 settlement units a year and a half ago.

For comparison, in all the years from 2020 to the end of 2022 (three years), less than 20,000 settlement units were approved.

During the meeting of the so-called Higher Planning Council, a number of plans will be approved to regularize and organize what are called random settlements.
Plans to build 186 settlement units in the Elon Moreh settlement, more than 240 units in Kiryat Arba, and 435 units in the Neriya settlement will be approved. As for the Neriya settlement, this is part of the expansion of the existing settlement.

Smotrich said: "We are building and developing the settlement and thwarting the danger of a Palestinian state. Last week we submitted to the cabinet for approval the construction of five settlements in strategic areas, including the Avitar settlement, and in addition to that, we add the approval of thousands of settlement units and the confiscation of tens of thousands of dunams, which is a comprehensive and extensive process aimed at thwarting the establishment of a Palestinian state."