Israel is accelerating settlement development across East Jerusalem and the northern West Bank, drawing sharp warnings from United Nations officials who say the territory is nearing collapse. The Ir Amim watchdog reported Monday that district committees approved more than 3,400 housing units across three East Jerusalem settlements — Um Tuba, Um Lison, and Gilo — occupying land between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, with parliamentary elections set for Oct. 27.
Meanwhile, 22 settler families moved into a new settlement called Emek Dotan on Sunday, built on a former military base, part of a broader plan for 19 new settlements in the northern West Bank. Defence Minister Israel Katz has claimed the creation of 104 new settlements and the expulsion of 40,000 Palestinians from refugee camps.
The UN's deputy coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Ramiz Alakbarov, warned that Israel is accelerating the annexation of the West Bank, where settlers now effectively control 20 percent of the land. UNICEF reported that 174 Palestinian children have been killed in the West Bank since January 2024, with at least 355 currently detained in Israeli military centers.