Study: Israeli Settlement Expansion Targets More Than 22,000 Dunums and Nearly 20,000 New Housing Units in 2026

RAMALLAH, Occupied Palestine / PNN / 
Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank accelerated at an unprecedented pace during the first half of 2026, with Israeli authorities advancing 162 settlement plans targeting more than 22,650 dunums (22.65 square kilometers) of Palestinian land and approving the construction of 19,790 new settlement housing units, according to a new study released by the Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem (ARIJ).
The study found that the number of settlement plans proposed or approved by Israeli authorities during the first six months of 2026 exceeded the total recorded throughout all of 2025, underscoring what ARIJ described as a dramatic escalation in Israel's efforts to expand settlements and reshape the geography of the occupied Palestinian territory.
According to the report, the plans cover 22,650 dunums of Palestinian land and include nearly 20,000 new housing units, alongside industrial zones, agricultural areas, public facilities, bypass roads and other infrastructure projects designed to strengthen Israeli control over occupied territory.
ARIJ said settlement construction has become one of Israel's primary tools for consolidating control over Palestinian land, extending beyond residential expansion to include the confiscation of land under various legal and administrative classifications, including "state land," expanded municipal boundaries, nature reserves, security purposes and archaeological sites.
The institute noted that these measures fragment Palestinian communities, isolate towns and villages from one another, and integrate settlements and unauthorized outposts into an expanding network of roads and infrastructure, fundamentally altering the demographic and geographic landscape of the occupied West Bank.
The report highlighted that much of the expansion is concentrated in strategically important areas, particularly occupied East Jerusalem and its surroundings, as well as the major settlement blocs of Ma'ale Adumim, Givat Ze'ev and Gush Etzion, in addition to Area C under the Oslo II Interim Agreement. ARIJ warned that this expansion further limits Palestinian urban growth, undermines sustainable development and diminishes prospects for a geographically contiguous and viable Palestinian state.
The study emphasized that Israel's settlement policy violates international law, including Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring parts of its civilian population into occupied territory. It also cited United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016), which reaffirmed that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory have "no legal validity" and constitute a flagrant violation of international law.
Jerusalem Leads Settlement Expansion
According to the study, Jerusalem Governorate recorded the largest number of settlement plans during the reporting period, with 60 plans, followed by Bethlehem with 25, Salfit with 23, Ramallah with 14, Qalqilya with 12, and Nablus with 11.
ARIJ said the concentration of settlement activity in these governorates reflects Israel's strategic focus on expanding major settlement blocs and strengthening territorial continuity between settlements.
More Than 22,000 Dunums Targeted
The report found that Qalqilya Governorate experienced the largest amount of land targeted by settlement plans, with 3,903 dunums, primarily around the settlements of Kedumim and Karnei Shomron.
It was followed by Salfit with 3,830 dunums, largely surrounding Ariel and Kfar Tapuah, while Jericho ranked third with 3,475 dunums, mainly in the settlements of Mevo'ot Yericho, Massu'a, and Argaman.
Settlement plans also targeted 2,563 dunums in Jerusalem Governorate, 1,793 dunums in Hebron, 1,657 dunums in Tubas, 1,634 dunums in Ramallah, and 1,301 dunums in Bethlehem.
ARIJ said the distribution demonstrates Israel's continued emphasis on areas containing strategic land reserves, natural resources and major settlement blocs, further consolidating Israeli control while weakening territorial connectivity between Palestinian communities.
Nearly 20,000 New Settlement Housing Units
The study also documented the geographic distribution of the planned housing units.
Jerusalem topped the list with 4,449 new settlement units, followed closely by Bethlehem with 4,386 units. Salfit ranked third with 2,248 units, followed by Qalqilya (1,811), Ramallah (1,669), Nablus (1,606), and Hebron (1,589).
ARIJ said the figures illustrate the unprecedented scale of settlement construction currently underway across the occupied West Bank.
Restrictions on Palestinian Development Continue
The institute noted that while Israel continues approving thousands of new settlement housing units and investing heavily in settlement infrastructure—including roads, industrial zones, electricity and water networks—it simultaneously imposes strict restrictions on Palestinian construction, particularly in Area C.
According to the report, Israeli authorities continue to deny most Palestinian building permits while carrying out demolitions of homes and structures built without permits, severely limiting Palestinian urban expansion and deepening the fragmentation of Palestinian territory.
A Growing Challenge to a Two-State Solution
ARIJ concluded that the accelerated pace of settlement expansion is fundamentally reshaping the geography of the occupied West Bank in favor of Israeli settlements and outposts while further reducing the land available for Palestinian development.
The institute warned that the ongoing expansion undermines the prospects for a contiguous, sovereign Palestinian state and poses an increasingly significant obstacle to a negotiated two-state solution in accordance with international law. ...