The Palestinian foreign ministry says Israel’s decision to retroactively authorize 13 new settlement neighborhoods and recognize them as new settlements shows “disregard for international legitimacy and its resolutions.”
In its statement, the Palestinian foreign ministry links the move to an ongoing major Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank, saying it is accompanied by “an unprecedented escalation in the confiscation of Palestinian lands.”
Hamas also speaks out, saying it “strongly condemns” remarks from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich hailing the decision as bolstering Israeli claims over the West Bank. The terror group describes his comments as proof that settlements were a “racist replacement project.”
The Yesha Council, an umbrella organization for the municipal councils of West Bank settlements, thanks Smotrich for pushing for the cabinet decision, praising the “normalization” of settlement expansion.
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From the Liveblog of
Sunday, March 23, 2025
