The surge of new West Bank outposts
GZERO Media: Global politics, world news and analysis [Unoffici…
May 21, 2026
With the help of government funds and the police, settlers have been creating new settlements at a rapid clip since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formed a coalition with far-right leaders Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. The current coalition government itself has approved over 100 such communities. But settler groups have also formed settlements that the Israeli authorities don’t recognize, known as “outposts,” benefitting from a security system where law enforcement is reluctant to charge them – meanwhile, Palestinians could now face a death sentence if convicted of terror.
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