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Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced a new government plan of 2.7 billion shekels for a large-scale expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The plan focuses on establishing 17 new settlements over the next five years and strengthening existing ones. It is being considered the largest and fastest expansion plan to date.
According to government figures, 1.1 billion shekels have been allocated solely for the construction of new settlements and their infrastructure. Meanwhile, 660 million shekels will be spent on the 17 settlements that were recently approved, including areas such as Maalot Halhul, Sa-Nur, and Mount Ebal. In these new locations, initial residential clusters of about 20 caravans will be set up so that families can be settled immediately.
The plan allocates 338 million shekels for the 36 settlements and outposts that are undergoing the regularization process. In addition, 434 million shekels will be spent on infrastructure improvements in existing settlements, and 300 million shekels will be given to various councils and the settler administration.
For security and mobility, 140 million shekels will be spent on new roads, and 150 million shekels over three years will be used to upgrade armored buses. The plan also includes provisions to relocate three Israeli military bases to Palestinian areas in the northern West Bank.