Israeli settlers have established several new settlement outposts in the West Bank, indicating a speeding up of settlement expansion amid rising violence and in defiance of international calls to halt such projects. The Israeli army stated in a statement that since Thursday, several settlement outposts that the authorities did not authorize for construction have been discovered throughout the West Bank. It added that they would be dismantled "according to operational priorities," without going into details.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, it may "get out of control," urging Israel to "align its actions with international law." He stated, "We must carry out a military operation, demolish buildings, and eliminate terrorists—not one or two, but dozens, hundreds, even thousands if needed. Because ultimately, this is the only way to seize this place, reinforce our control, and restore the sense of security to the population."
The establishment of new sites follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement on Wednesday of plans to build one thousand new homes in the Eli settlement in response to a Palestinian armed attack in the area that resulted in the deaths of four Israelis. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the new settlement projects, stating they are part of Israel's plan to impose the annexation of the West Bank as a fait accompli. It added that Israel "always closes the door to any opportunity for a political solution to the conflict." According to UN data, there are now approximately 700,000 settlers living in 279 settlements throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem, up from 520,000 in 2012.
