Irrespective of international legality, Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved a plan to establish 13 new settlements in the central occupied West Bank, a move Palestinian officials say will further fragment the territory and isolate East Jerusalem from its surrounding Palestinian communities.
The Jerusalem governorate said the scheme is designed to link settlement blocs, tighten Israeli control over strategic hilltops and restrict Palestinian territorial continuity.
“The plan seeks to create new geographical realities on the ground,” the governorate added in a statement, warning that the expansion would “undermine the prospects of establishing a geographically contiguous Palestinian state.”






