Israel approves over $400m to fund 34 settlements in occupied West Bank

Israel approves over $400m to fund 34 settlements in occupied West Bank

The Israeli government announced on Tuesday that it had approved a budget of approximately 1.3bn shekels ($434m) to fund the establishment of 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.

According to Israeli news outlet Ynet, the decision was made by the security cabinet in June but kept under wraps over concerns about the US response.

The cabinet had separately approved the establishment of the 34 settlements in March, but the decision was not publicly announced until Tuesday.

The latest approval brings the number of settlements authorised under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's current government to 104 since it took office in late 2022, Ynet reported.

The government also approved the re-establishment of the settlement of Sa-Nur in the northern West Bank, months after Israeli settlers returned to the site, which had been evacuated in 2005 during Israel's disengagement from the Gaza Strip.

Read more: Israel approves over $400m to fund 34 settlements in occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers stand near al-Tireh neighbourhood at the western entrance of the city of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, on 14 July 2026 (Zain Jaafar/AFP) ...