Israeli extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has earmarked about $843 million over the next five years to expand illegal settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, in what local media described as a form of "de facto annexation."
The daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Monday that the funds, designated for building new illegal settlements, opening access roads, strengthening security and formalising land records, represent an unprecedented allocation.
A central component includes relocating three Israeli army bases to northern occupied West Bank areas, which the newspaper called a major step.
"Billions of shekels are intended to reshape the settlements," the paper said, noting that the budget covers the transfer of military bases, infrastructure development for dozens of new settlements, access roads and expanded defence systems.
The five-year package targets "all elements that strengthen Israeli governance" in the occupied West Bank.
Unprecedented steps
Under the plan, Israel will establish "absorption clusters" – sites of 20 mobile homes each – allowing illegal settlers to move in and form new settlement nuclei.
The government will transfer $93.4 million to all new settlements, including $49.8 million in establishment grants and $43.6 million for organisational activity.
Existing settlements will receive $135 million for infrastructure upgrades, and a further $93.4 million will go to regional and local settler councils.
One of the plan’s most significant measures is allocating $70 million to create a land-registration unit.
Purchases in the occupied West Bank were recorded with the Israeli Civil Administration rather than Israel’s official land registry.
Engineered demographic change
Under the plan, all land records will be mapped and transferred to a dedicated occupied West Bank registry.
The unit will employ 41 staff and aims to formalise about 60,000 dunams by 2030.
The plan also allocates $43.6 million to open access roads, primarily for Israeli army needs, and $46.6 million over three years to upgrade armoured school buses.
Defence Minister Israel Katz is expected to provide additional funding for "smart fences, equipment sites, cameras and other systems."
Smotrich claimed on Monday on X that "Judea and Samaria (West Bank) are Israel’s security belt," adding that he is proud to lead a "revolution that cancels the idea of dividing the land."
Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now estimates about 500,000 settlers live in the occupied West Bank's illegal settlements and another 250,000 in East Jerusalem.
In a landmark opinion in July last year, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements.
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Source: TRT