Washington Post: Israel Expands Settlement at Unprecedented Rate in the West Bank

The "Washington Post" reported that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expanded Israel's settlement activity in the West Bank at an "unprecedented" rate. The newspaper stated that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Israel's approval for the construction of a new settlement in the Battir area, which is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, near Bethlehem in the West Bank. The region has also seen an increase in major settlement construction, a rise in the demolition of Palestinian properties, and state support for illegal outposts. Smotrich wrote on the X platform: "We will continue to develop settlements in order to ensure Israel's security and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state." Palestinians and most of the international community consider the expansion of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem to be illegal. The United Nations warns that the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories constitutes a "war crime" and poses a risk of eliminating "any practical possibility for the establishment of a viable Palestinian state."