The Israeli Occupation's Cabinet approved a series of decisions on Thursday morning, including the establishment of 22 new settlements in the West Bank, the renewal of settlement activity in its northern region, and the construction of new settlements along the Jordanian border.

 

In an official joint statement from the "Israeli" Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, his office’s minister, and far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the move was described as a new escalation in the settlement project in the occupied Palestinian territories.

 

The Hebrew-language newspaper Israel Hayom quoted Smotrich as saying, “The next step is sovereignty,” referring to the Israeli Occupation's intention to formally annex these areas in the future.

 

The move sparked angry reactions from Palestinian and international circles, amid warnings of a dangerous escalation and a further undermining of any efforts toward achieving a two-state solution.