Why is Israel building new illegal settlements?

Israel opens construction bids for new illegal housing units in the occupied West Bank.

Key points

• Ammar Hijazi – Ambassador and head of the Palestinian Mission to the Netherlands.
• The right-wing administration of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fast-tracked the establishment of new ones.
• The policy intends to tighten Israel's hold on the occupied West Bank and block the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state.
• With just months to go until the elections, the administration has opened bids for the construction of 1, 200 illegal housing units.
• Illegal under international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank have been expanding for decades.

For context, the right-wing administration of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fast-tracked the establishment of new ones.

Meanwhile, the policy intends to tighten Israel's hold on the occupied West Bank and block the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state.

With just months to go until the elections, the administration has opened bids for the construction of 1, 200 illegal housing units. It has additionally ignored international criticism of the planned illegal settlement, known as E1.

Some Western countries are threatening sanctions if Israel goes ahead. But would that create a difference?

Alon Pinkas – Former Israeli ambassador and consul general in New York. Published On 22 Aug 202622 Aug 2026.

In short, why is Israel building new illegal settlements? Is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.