The Israeli government has approved nine previously unapproved Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
It is the first such move by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new government.
Although Israel disputes this, the international community considers all settlements to be illegal under international law.
Palestinians see settlements as a major impediment to reaching an agreement with Israel.
They want all settlements and outposts removed from the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which they believe will be the location of a future Palestinian state.
Since occupying the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has built approximately 140 settlements, housing approximately 600,000 Jews.
Explanation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Israeli settlements stymie peace prospects
On the same day, Israeli authorities announced the mass construction of new homes within existing settlements.
According to a statement from Mr. Netanyahu’s office, a planning committee will meet in the coming days to approve new settlement homes.
Bezalel Smotrich, the far-right Finance Minister, predicted 10,000 of them on Twitter.
The steps have been taken now, according to national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, in response to two recent deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis in occupied East Jerusalem.
A six-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man were killed in the and.
The administration of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned and rejected the announcement made on Sunday.
The US has not yet responded, but Ambassador Thomas Nides has previously stated that such moves would be opposed by Washington.
“We want to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution. He (Netanyahu) understands that massive settlement expansion will not achieve that goal “Mr. Nides stated.
In addition, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently criticized settlement activity in the occupied West Bank as a barrier to peace.