Israeli cabinet 'secretly approves record number' of new West Bank settlements

Israeli cabinet 'secretly approves record number' of new West Bank settlements Submitted by Fleur Hargreaves on Thu, 04/09/2026 - 11:37 Report on i24NEWS reveals new settlements were approved during war on Iran but kept classified The Israeli settlement Neve Yaakov in the northern area of East Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, on 15 September 2025 (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP) Off Israel ’s cabinet has secretly approved a record number of new settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli news channel i24NEWS . Amid the war on Iran , the government ratified 34 new settlements in a single decision – more than half the total approved during the previous record-setting year of 2025. Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are widely regarded as illegal under international law.