Israeli ministers announce plans for new illegal settlements in Gaza and West Bank

What Happened

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced plans to establish three Nahal military outposts in northern Gaza on 2 April 2025, during a visit to Israeli-controlled areas of the territory. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich simultaneously revealed a previously secret allocation of 1.3 billion shekels ($400 million) for constructing dozens of new Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The moves come ahead of 27 October national elections, with the far-right coalition seeking to expand territorial control. West Bank military commander Maj Gen Avi Bluth told a gathering of the Farms Association—representing outposts illegal under Israeli law—that he 'appreciates their work' and considers them 'partners in security.' Deputy Chief of Staff Maj Gen Tamir Yadai asserted that Israel now controls 65% of Gaza, exceeding the 53% mandated by the US-brokered ceasefire, and claimed over 70,000 'terrorists' have been killed. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry's documented list of over 73,000 dead includes more than 21,000 children, suggesting Yadai's figures label civilian casualties as terrorists. The Israeli military declined to comment directly on that characterisation, stating casualty assessments are ongoing and have not been presented to the political echelon.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The settlement expansion in Gaza and the West Bank, coupled with military endorsement of violent settler outposts, represents a pre-election acceleration of de facto annexation by the Israeli far-right government. This undermines ceasefire frameworks, the viability of a two-state solution, and risks drawing further international legal action. Labelling civilian casualties as combatants may constitute evidence in ongoing ICJ and ICC proceedings, while the UN has already declared settler violence to be state violence. The moves also defy expected US opposition, potentially straining diplomatic relations and destabilising regional mediation efforts.

Watch For

Concrete actions before the 27 October elections: bulldozer work on at least seven new West Bank settlements identified by Peace Now; formal establishment of Nahal outposts in Gaza, pending Netanyahu's approval; international reactions, particularly from the US and UN bodies; legal challenges by Israeli former security officials threatened against government support for settler terrorism; and the IDF's completion of its casualty categorisation assessment, which could affect war crimes allegations.