The Israeli Security Cabinet has “secretly” approved the construction of 22 new illegal settlements on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, according to a report by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

The report said on Tuesday that the Cabinet gave its approval two weeks ago for the establishment of the settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The decision reportedly includes plans to re-establish the illegal outposts of Homesh and Sa-Nur, both of which were dismantled in 2005 under Israel’s unilateral “disengagement plan” from besieged Gaza.

The proposal was jointly submitted by Defence Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

In response, the Palestinian presidency condemned the move, saying it marked “a dangerous escalation that drags the region into a cycle of violence and instability.”

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, said: “The Israeli government's secret approval to establish 22 new settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, represents a serious escalation and a challenge to international legitimacy and international law.”

Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza in 1967. It later withdrew from Gaza in 1994 under the Oslo Accords signed with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and dismantled settlements there in 2005.

Earlier this month, on 12 May, the Cabinet also approved the resumption of land registration procedures in Area C of the West Bank, which is under full Israeli control and makes up about 61% of the territory.

On 19 July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and called for the evacuation of all Israeli settlements established on occupied land. The court reaffirmed the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.