Zionist Minister earmarks to expand illegal settlements in West Bank

(MENAFN) Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced a five-year plan allocating 2.7 billion shekels (approximately $843 million) to expand settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, a move described by local media as a form of “de facto annexation,” according to reports.

The funds are earmarked for building new settlements, constructing access roads, enhancing security, and formalizing land records. A major component of the plan involves relocating three Israeli army bases to northern West Bank areas, which has been highlighted as a significant step in the initiative.

Local media noted, “Billions of shekels are intended to reshape the settlements,” covering the transfer of military bases, infrastructure development for numerous new settlements, construction of access roads, and expansion of defense systems. The five-year budget package is said to target “all elements that strengthen Israeli governance” in the West Bank, effectively amounting to annexation.

The plan includes establishing “absorption clusters”—sites of 20 mobile homes each—to facilitate the formation of new settlement nuclei. Additionally, the government will allocate 300 million shekels ($93.4 million) to support new settlements, including 160 million shekels ($49.8 million) in establishment grants and 140 million shekels ($43.6 million) for organizational and operational activities.

Existing settlements are set to receive 434 million shekels ($135 million) for infrastructure upgrades, while regional and local settler councils will receive another 300 million shekels ($93.4 million) in funding.

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