The Israeli government has announced 19 new Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
This includes 11 newly-built communities and eight formerly illegal outposts which will now be recognised under Israeli law.
A resolution supporting the project was backed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz, and was approved by the security cabinet earlier this month.
At the time, Smotrich said that the proposal was designed to separate sections of the West Bank, with the intention of blocking a potential Palestinian state.
"We are stopping the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state on the ground. We will continue to develop, build and settle in the land of our ancestors, with faith in the righteousness of the path," he said.
Around half of the settlements will be located along the "green line", which separates Israel from the territory.
The other half will sit further into the West Bank and include several which were evacuated during the 2005 disengagement from Gaza.
But they were unofficially re-established by settlers after, in 2023, the government passed a law repealing the legislation forcing those evacuations.
The move comes in a year that has seen a surge in settler violence, as well as attacks against settlements by Palestinians.
As of last month, Israeli authorities have recorded 704 incidents of “nationalistic crime” so far in 2025, compared to 675 in all of 2024.
To get more Israel news, click here to sign up for our free Israel Briefing newsletter.