Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich revealed government directives to expand the settlement project unprecedentedly, describing the current phase as the beginning of a 'settlement revolution'. Smotrich affirmed in his statements today, Monday, that these plans will not stop at the borders of the occupied West Bank but will include the Galilee and Negev regions to enhance demographic and geographic control.
These moves come as Benjamin Netanyahu's government relies on the support of far-right parties that prioritize settlement. These directives have already been translated into action with the Israeli cabinet recently approving the construction of 13 new settlements in the 'Binyamin' area in the central West Bank, with timelines set for implementation to begin in the coming months.
On the ground, local sources reported an escalation in settler attacks, where extremist groups on Sunday dawn set fire to Palestinian commercial establishments, including a restaurant and a cafe, on the road connecting the town of Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya and the city of Salfit. These attacks are part of a growing wave of violence aimed at pressuring Palestinian citizens and forcing them to leave their lands for the benefit of settlement expansion.
In the vicinity of occupied Jerusalem, occupation machinery continues extensive bulldozing operations in the Shuafat Airport area near Qalandia village, with the aim of implementing settlement projects that connect settlement blocs to each other. Observers believe that these operations aim to completely isolate Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings and divide the West Bank into isolated cantons, making communication between them difficult.
According to data issued by the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the number of settler attacks since the beginning of this year has exceeded 3,400, including attacks on villages and properties. The commission confirms that these figures reflect a green light from the Israeli political level for settlers to persist in their violations against Palestinians under the protection of the army.
For its part, estimates by the 'Peace Now' movement indicate that the number of settlers in the West Bank has reached about half a million settlers, in addition to another quarter of a million in East Jerusalem. These statistics illustrate the extent of settlement infiltration that the occupation seeks to impose as a fait accompli, preventing the establishment of a geographically contiguous Palestinian state in the future.
Regarding human casualties, the West Bank has witnessed a bloody escalation since October 8, 2023, resulting in the martyrdom of 1,175 Palestinians and the injury of thousands of others with varying degrees of wounds. Official bodies have also documented the arrest of about 24,000 citizens and the displacement of more than 33,000, amid the continuation of systematic military operations targeting infrastructure and Palestinian camps.
We have begun the settlement revolution, and this step will not be limited to the West Bank only, but will reach the Negev and Galilee.
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Smotrich announces launch of 'settlement revolution' extending from the West Bank to the Negev and Galilee