Israel's settlement expansion a threat to peace and stability in the Middle East

Israel's recent move to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank — threatening to derail the fragile prospects of peace and stability in the Middle East — has drawn widespread international condemnation.

These actions not only undermine the potential for a two-state solution but also exacerbate tensions in an already volatile region.

On Feb 8, Israel's security Cabinet approved a series of measures that significantly alter the legal and civil status of the West Bank and strengthen Israel's control over the territory. These measures include repealing a law that prohibits sale of land to Jews, reviving a state land acquisition committee that had been inactive for about two decades, and extending Israeli enforcement actions into Area A, which, according to the 1993 Oslo Accords, should be under full Palestinian control.

These unilateral actions show Israel's complete disregard for the rights of the Palestinians and international agreements. By facilitating the expansion of Jewish settlements, Israel is dimming the prospects of realizing a viable Palestinian state.

Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East War. The settlements it has built there and its ongoing military occupation are widely regarded as illegal under international law. Since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin?Netanyahu's right-wing government came to power in 2022, the total number of settlements planned by Israel has increased sharply, rising by 50 percent. In December, Israel also approved the construction of 19 new Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

By expanding the construction of Jewish settlements, Israel aims to entrench Israeli control over the West Bank. This encroachment upon Palestinian territories will undermine the physical foundation for the establishment of a Palestinian state, and stifle the possibility of implementing a two-state solution. No wonder it immediately drew strong opposition in the region and beyond.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the Israel's decisions as acts that amount to war crimes. Various Arab and Islamic nations have called for urgent international intervention to reverse these measures.

Foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar reaffirmed in a joint statement that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory, warning against the continued "expansionist Israeli policies" and illegal measures pursued by the Israeli government in the occupied West Bank while voicing "absolute rejection of these illegal actions".

Israel's expansion of settlements is a direct threat to Palestinian identity and sovereignty, fueling fears of further displacement and marginalization. Latest data released on Feb 5 by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs show violence and harassment by Israeli Jewish settlers in the West Bank in January led to nearly 700 Palestinians being displaced, the largest since the latest round of Israeli-Hamas conflict began in October 2023.

The West Bank issue is not the only hurdle perplexing the Middle East: The fragile ceasefire in Gaza, brokered a few months ago, is at risk of unraveling while the cloud of war lingers over Iran as the United States has sent its aircraft carrier fleet to the region to maximize pressure over Tehran.

Israel should know that by escalating settlement activities it undermines the trust necessary for peaceful negotiations and increases the likelihood of renewed violence. This is not only detrimental to Israeli-Palestinian relations but also poses a significant threat to peace and stability in the Middle East as a whole.

The international community must unite in condemning these measures and work toward a comprehensive and just resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Only through sustained dialogue and adherence to international law can peace be achieved in this troubled region.