Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared on Monday that the government has launched a 'settlement revolution' that will eventually extend to the Negev and Galilee regions. 'I've got news for you: We've only just begun the revolution in settlement. We'll get to the Negev and the Galilee too,' Smotrich wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
New settlements approved in occupied West Bank
The announcement came two days after Israel's Security Cabinet approved a plan to establish 13 new settlements in the central occupied West Bank. Palestinian officials said the move would further isolate East Jerusalem from surrounding Palestinian communities. The new settlements are located in strategically important areas, according to Israeli officials.
Impact on Palestinian statehood
Palestinian officials and rights groups argue that the expansion deepens Israeli control over occupied territory and undermines prospects for a contiguous Palestinian state. Since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in 2022 at the head of the most right-wing coalition in Israel's history, settlement expansion has accelerated significantly. Ministers with close ties to the settler movement have driven the policy shift.
Sharp increase in settlement outposts
According to the Palestinian Forum for Israeli Studies, state support for settlements has surged. The number of newly established settlement outposts rose to 86 in 2025, up from 64 in 2024, aided by $20 million in government funding. This compares to 32 outposts in 2023 and an annual average of about eight between 2012 and 2022.
Smotrich, who holds ultranationalist views, has previously stated his belief that Jews have a divine right to all land that was part of biblical Israel. His latest comments signal an intent to expand settlements beyond the occupied West Bank into areas inside Israel proper, including the Negev desert and Galilee region.
