The United States has strongly condemned plans by Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to legalize dozens of illegal settler outposts in the West Bank. Spokesperson Vedant Patel of the US State Department labeled the reports as “dangerous and reckless.” The US firmly opposes Israeli settlements, which it deems as violations of international law. Patel emphasized that Washington will continue to urge Israeli officials against funding illegal outposts.
According to Channel 12 News, Smotrich, who also holds a ministerial position in the Defense Ministry, has instructed several ministries to prepare for providing public services to these outposts once legalized. The coalition agreement between Smotrich’s far-right Religious Zionism party and the ruling Likud party mandates the legalization of so-called “young settlement outposts” and their connection to electricity and water supplies.
“Young settlements” refers to approximately 70 illegal outposts established in the West Bank during the 1990s and early 2000s with various ministries’ assistance but without formal government approval, rendering them illegal under Israeli law. In February 2023, the government approved the legalization of nine outposts, later increased to ten, and Smotrich announced arrangements to facilitate the legalization of the remaining settlements.
Since capturing the West Bank from Jordan in 1967, Israel has extensively settled the area, regarding it as biblical Judea and Samaria and crucial for its security. Despite criticism from the US, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promoted settlement growth. These settlements occupy West Bank territories that Palestinians aspire to establish as part of an independent state, including the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem as its capital.
Recently, the US imposed sanctions on an ally of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and two entities accused of fundraising for Israelis charged with settler violence. Regarding Israel’s potential military offensive against Rafah, Patel expressed that Washington’s concerns remain unaddressed. He highlighted the need for a “serious credible plan” for any military operation.
Israel’s military is reportedly preparing to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah and attack Hamas strongholds in the southern Gaza Strip city, despite warnings of a humanitarian crisis. Patel also stated that the US continues to seek information from Israel regarding Hamas’s allegations of mass graves in Gaza, which Israel has dismissed as “baseless.”
Relations between Israel and the US have fluctuated in recent months, with Washington supporting Israel’s right to self-defense and its campaign against Hamas, while also criticizing civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis resulting from the conflict. The Hamas-led Gaza health ministry reported over 34,000 Palestinian casualties since October 7, but these figures lack independent verification and do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel claims to have killed approximately 13,000 Hamas gunmen in combat and 1,000 terrorists within Israel on October 7. Since the launch of Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza, 261 IDF soldiers have lost their lives.
