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Israeli security cabinet approves recognition of 19 new settlements
21 December 2025 10:28 GMT
Israel's security cabinet has approved a new proposal by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz to recognise 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The settlements are spread across five regional councils. A total of 69 settlements have been recognised under Smotrich.
Reacting to the decision, the finance minister said: “We are preventing the establishment of a Palestinian terror state on the ground.”
All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law.