Unprecedented rise in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank: report

The Israeli NGO Peace Now has released a report recording an "unprecedented" increase in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank since October 7.

The report records nine "settlement outposts" and 18 new roads for settlers since the outbreak of Israel's war on Gaza.

The West Bank, under Israeli military occupation since 1967, has also seen a sharp rise in violent raids and incidents against Palestinians since October 7.

Peace Now report said that the violence by settlers was aimed at "marginalising Palestinians".

Currently, about three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, alongside 490,000 Israelis living in settlements that are deemed illegal under international law.

The NGO also reported that the ongoing three-month war in Gaza was being exploited by settlers to create a de facto situation on the ground, aiming to expand their control over larger parts of Area C - an area in the West Bank with a high concentration of settlements.

The report also highlighted that several ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu's government were settlement supporters, contributing to a "political environment" that favours the expansion of settlers' projects.

Yesh Din, another Israeli NGO, reported earlier this week that violence by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank reached a record high in 2023. The United Nations has recorded 1,225 attacks by settlers on Palestinians during the same period.

The United States imposed sanctions in early December on dozens of Israeli settlers, banning them from entering the US. France, as stated by its Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, has also decided to take action against some "extremist" settlers.