The Isr.Government is working covertly to impose settlement realities that undermine the two-state solution..

Settlement Weekly Report 11 – 17 April, 2026
By: Madeeha Al-A’raj

The ‘National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements stated in its latest weekly report , that the Israeli Gov’t is reportedly continuing operations with-limit-ed public disclosure, drawing little attention from international media and public opinion, where settlement in the West Bank has intensified significantly, a campaign lead by FM Smotrich alongside PM Netanyahu ahead of the upcoming Israeli Knesset elections. Noting that on April 9th, the Security Cabinet approved the establishment of 34 new settlements, following an earlier decision on April 1st. According to reports, the announcement was initially withheld to avoid potential backlash from the USA during the war with Iran, and was released after a ceasefire was reached.
Reeports from the cabinet meeting, known as the ‘Red Flags’ meeting, indicate that the Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, warned that the Israeli army could collapse and be unable to carry out its tasks in light of this settlement expansion and the escalation of settler violence. He also stated that he opposed the plan to establish additional new settlements for security reasons, given the heavy burden these settlements impose on the occupation army, which is required to protect numerous settlement outposts that are spreading rapidly in the West Bank with clear encouragement from Smotrich and explicit support from Benjamin Netanyahu on the eve of the Israeli Knesset elections.
The 34 newly approved settlements are added to the 68 settlements the settlement government had already decided to establish since its formation, bringing the total to 102. This represents an 80% increase compared to the number before the current government took office. A report by i24 News International considered Israel s voice abroad and working to improve Israel s image as the "Iron Dome" in the eyes of the international press, cites 103 settlements.
This discrepancy likely stems from the approval of Givat Harel twice – once as a joint settlement with Givat Haroh, and again independently. This government decision has not been officially published, meaning the available information is based solely on media reports and statements by Smotrich. According to the detailed list published by Yinon Yitzhak on i24 News International, among the 34 settlements, 10 are outposts that will be legalized, all located in Area C.
As for the list of 34 settlements approved by the Cabinet on 1/4/2026, they are distributed among the Palestinian governorates as follows: 6 are in the Jenin Governorate, named: Aloni Shomron, Rom Gilboa, Emek Dotan, Ma ayanot, Noa, and Tanaash, 6 in the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, namely: Zabda, Mevot Yehoshua, Neot Harim, Ramatayim Tzufim, Netov, Yeshuv Hada at, 5 in the Hebron Governorate, namely: Ma ale Anav, Mitzpe Yair, Karmei Yehuda, Megid, and Gad Natan, 6 in the Bethlehem Governorate, namely: Mazu at Har, Shizaf, Mitzpe Darga, Givat Adolam, Ma ale Arugot, 4 in the Jericho Governorate: Beit Zohar, Elisha, Zuri, and Daya, and 6 in the Palestinian Jordan Valley, namely: Hiyota, Mevo Tirza, Mevo Hashimish, Rashash, and Givati David, 1 in the Salfeet Governorate named Zivlon, 1 in the Nablus Governorate named Zufnat, and 1 in the Tulkarm Governorate named Nofei.
Smotrich described the decision as a historic achievement for the government, recognizing these new settlements and granting them permits. He stated that the government would continue building to thwart any idea of establishing an Arab state in the West Bank. Ch. 7 quoted Smotrich as saying, ‘The government has managed, in the last four months, to recognize the construction of these new settlements and legalize dozens of outposts.’
He spoke of this as a great achievement and the result of strenuous work over the past few months, thanking the Interior Ministry, the Central Command chief, the Civil Administration, and the Settlement Administration for their efforts in this radical transformation.
The Peace Now Movement commented on this, saying: ‘The government has gone into frenzy ahead of the elections, seeking to impose as many facts on the ground as possible and leave Israel with a scorched-earth policy. It is clear to everyone today, and the Israeli army confirms this repeatedly, that the establishment of settlements harms security, places an unprecedented burden on the army, and undermines the possibility of resolving the conflict and achieving any security and peace in the future.’
Within the context, on 12 April, the Israeli occupation forces issued a notice to seize about 8,950 m2 of land belonging to the Fandaqumiya village, south of Jenin, for military purposes. The targeted land is located near the settlement of Tarsala, which the occupation is currently rebuilding. It lies north of the village on the main road and borders the lands of the towns of Ajja and Jaba , south of Jenin, and is planted with olive trees.
A move is part of the Israeli occupation authorities policy of land confiscation and settlement expansion in the West Bank, which is accompanied by severe restrictions on Palestinian citizens and their prevention from accessing their land.
In the meantime, last Tuesday, Israeli bulldozers began extensive land-clearing operations on agricultural land north of Salfeet, uprooting dozens of ancient olive trees. The Salfeet Municipality reported that Israeli machinery began destroying and bulldozing agricultural land and uprooting olive trees under the pretext of using it for military purposes. This threatens the livelihoods of dozens of families and inflicts severe damage on the agricultural sector in the area.
The targeted area is estimated at 150 dunams, planted with more than 600 ancient olive trees. This attack is part of a series of ongoing violations targeting agricultural land in the Salfeet governorate, amidst escalating policies aimed at seizing more land and imposing a new reality on the ground.
At the same time, the occupation forces continue to close the main entrances to the towns and villages of the governorate, including the entrances to the village of Al-Zawiya, and prevent the movement of vehicles and entry and exit, forcing the residents to travel on foot´-or-take long and rough bypass roads, which wastes time and effort and burdens them with additional costs as part of the policy of collective punishment at a time when the suffering of citizens from the practices of the settlers is escalating in an unprecedented manner.
On the outskirts of the northern Jordan Valley, the situation in the village of Tayasir, east of Tubas, has also changed drastically, with the establishment of a pastoral outpost between the village and the village of al-Aqaba, daily attacks and restrictions on access to agricultural lands have escalated. Settlers initially established this outpost near residents homes before relocating it to an area between Tayasir and Aqaba, classified as Area C.
The new outpost, which began with a single tent, quickly expanded to include several tents and a flock of sheep. This expansion coincided with repeated attacks on farmers and their greenhouses, making access to their land extremely dangerous, especially in the nearby mountainous areas. The location of the settlement outpost between Tayasir and Al-Aqaba is not random, but rather comes within a broader plan to control the area.
The outpost was established in an area that forms a link between three Palestinian communities: Tayasir, Al-Aqaba, and Khirbet Ibziq, which means that it may lead to cutting off geographical communication between them, in addition to controlling about 600 dunams of agricultural land, in an area located within the northern extension of Wadi Al-Malih, which is witnessing increasing settlement ambitions accompanied by the fencing of 14,000 dunams of land and control over water springs, including the Al-Malih, Al-Sakout, Al-Auja and other springs.
The attacks are not-limit-ed to residents-;- they also target journalists. A CNN crew was assaulted by Israeli soldiers while covering the establishment of the outpost, and video footage showed the soldiers demanding the crew stop filming, in what was described as violent behavior. What is happening in Tayasir reflects a broader policy in the northern Jordan Valley, based on creating an environment that forces Palestinians to flee through constant harassment and repeated attacks.
With diminishing access to their land and escalating daily dangers, residents fear that these conditions will force them to leave their homes, in what is known as ‘silent displacement’. Last week, Alaa Khaled Sbeih was killed by settlers during an attack on the village of Tayasir, which included clashes and a raid. This coincided with a broader escalation of violence in the West Bank ‘including the abduction of 14-year-old Asid Mahmoud Ghanem from the town of Qabalan, south of Nablus, who was taken to a settlement’ and numerous other attacks, amidst Israeli incursions, injuries, and arrests.
The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation ‘Kan 11’ reported that the settler who killed Sbeih was a member of the Israeli army and ‘was on leave and was present there’, indicating the Israeli army s involvement and its provision of protection for terrorist attacks against Palestinians.
The terrorist group ‘Hilltop Youth’ published a report last February documenting the crimes it committed against Palestinian citizens from the settlement outposts it established with the support and protection of the Netanyahu-Smotrich-Ben-Gvir government. The terrorist groups within ‘Hilltop Youth’ boasted that in one month ‘February’ they burned 12 inhabited homes, set fire to 29 vehicles, and attacked 33 villages, with the village of Mikhmas bearing the brunt of these attacks ‘5 attacks. They also smashed hundreds of windows of homes and cars and uprooted hundreds of trees, especially ancient olive trees, all in coordination with the occupation authorities security forces.
On another level, Meta, a digital services company best known for its social media platforms, including Meta Platforms and Facebook, is reported to provide services that benefit settlers in the occupied West Bank. According to the Arab Center for Social Media Development, the company enables far-right Israeli pages and settler-affiliated entities to generate revenue through its platforms, despite the circulation of content described as violent´-or-inciting against Palestinians.
The report argues that Meta’s role goes beyond failing to remove´-or-limit such content. It states that the company also allows these pages to access monetization programs, effectively providing financial incentives that may contribute to the continued spread of inflammatory rhetoric. This, the report claims, is inconsistent with Meta’s own policies as well as the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and broader standards of international humanitarian and human rights law.
The findings are based on a review of a sample of right-wing Israeli pages and accounts participating in Meta’s programs, including those linked to the settlement movement, accounts of extremist figures, and Israeli media outlets identified by the report as promoting incitement. It also includes pages associated with government entities that are typically expected to be excluded from monetization. According to the report, these pages have published content promoting settlement outposts, justifying settler violence, mocking Palestinian victims, and, in some cases, calling for their displacement.
List of Israeli Assaults over the Last Week Documented by the National Bureau:
Jerusalem:
- Forcing Moh’d Khalaf Awda to evacuate his home in the Al-Bustan Neighborhood of Silwan, in preparation for implementing a demolition order issued by the occupation authorities after the occupation municipality imposed fines of about NIS 120,000 on the house, which forced him to demolish his house himself to avoid demolition costs and fines.
- Forcing Wael Tahhan and his 2 brothers to carry out a self-demolition order for their homes in the Ras al-Amud Neighborhood. This forced action came after continuous threats from the occupation municipality to impose hefty fines and charge the family for the costs of the occupation s demolition equipment if they didn’t comply immediately.
- Forcing Mah’d Taweel to demolish his own home in the al-Shayyah area of Silwan, under the pretext of building without a permit. Another Jerusalemite, Ali Sawahreh, was forced to demolish his home in Jabal Mukabber after the authorities claimed he had added to the existing house, prompting a demolition order. The family explained that the addition was-limit-ed to building a bathroom for his married son who lives in the hoGuse. His son, Moh’d Sawahreh, also demolished his own apartment.
- Erecting an iron gate adjacent to the Zorba courtyard between the Cotton Market and Bab al-Hadid, near the Old City Youth Association in Jerusalem, part of which they had previously seized. A move was considered an attack on a historical landmark and an alteration of the area s character.
- Demolishing a horse stable in the Coptic Neighborhood in the town of Al-Ram, while another group of settlers vandalized agricultural facilities and stole their contents in the Al-Muntar area east of Jerusalem.
Hebron:
- Attacking the Al-Tuwaiba village in Masafer Yatta, assaulting residents. A young man suffered from asphyxiation after being sprayed with pepper spray, and a five-year-old boy, Awad Khalil Awad, sustained head injuries and bruises after being pushed to the ground.
- Stealing livestock in the Ashkara area south of Yatta, attacked farmers and chased them under the protection of Israeli soldiers, who fired stun grenades and tear gas at homes.
- Grazing their sheep in the Hamroush area east of the town of Sa ir, and in Masafer Yatta, armed settlers attacked shepherds in the dda al-Tha la area, prevented them from grazing their flocks at gunpoint. Others stole livestock in Khirbet al-Tuwaiba in Masafer Yatta.
- Erecting a tent on Palestinian-owned land in the southern part of Wadi al-Rakhim, south of Yatta. The village of al-Tuwana in Masafer Yatta witnessed a series of attacks carried out by Israeli occupation forces in cooperation with settler gangs, targeting residents and their property in the Sha ab Tuwana and Hamra areas.
- Storming the Shuyukh town, raided a house, and attempted to seize it by force, but residents resisted and prevented them from doing so.
Bethlehem:
- Attacking shepherds in the village of Rashayda, forcing them to leave at gunpoint. Other settlers stormed the village of Al-Maniya, occupying several of its neighborhoods and streets, provoking residents and shining spotlights on their homes.
- Assaulting residents in Khala il Luz, spraying them with pepper spray, which resulted in injuries to a 16-year-old boy.
- Injuring 3 Palestinians in a settler attack on the town of Tuqu . The mayor of Tuqu stated that settlers attacked residents in the Mutla area east of the town, attempting to steal their sheep and spraying them with pepper spray, resulting in injuries to three residents.
- Bulldozing land belonging to residents of the towns of Beit Fajjar, Marah Ma la, and Jurat Sham a, leveling it and installing caravans and generators, with the aim of establishing a settlement outpost in the area.
- Injuring 2 Palestinians when settlers attacked a Palestinian vehicle with stones and knives in the Harmala area southeast of Bethlehem. While passing through the area, the injured were taken to the hospital for treatment.
- Erecting mobile homes as part of their attempts to seize the Jorat al-Shama’a village’s agricultural lands .
Ramallah:
- Killinh a young man, Ali Majed Hamadneh, 23 by settler gunfire in the village of Deir Jarir during an attack on the village. A bullet pierced his back and chest.
- Erecting several mobile homes in an outpost on Palestinian-owned land in the town of Sinjil, in the Gharaba area northwest of the town.
- Attacking farmers, firing live ammunition at them and forcing them to leave. Settlers carrying machine guns in the village of Al-Mughayyir. They also stormed the village of Yabroud, attacking residents and stealing a horse and a herd of livestock.
- Seizing 4 dunams of privately owned Palestinian land, which the occupation authorities had ordered confiscated about 5 months prior in the village of Al-Janiya.
- Confiscating 2 bulldozers in the town of Deir Ghassana and prevented residents from constructing an agricultural road in the Al-Majdoub area. Settlers established a new settlement outpost at the entrance to Ein Sinya and brought a flock of sheep to the site.
- Stealing 50 sheep belonging to citizen Abdul Rahim Awad from the town of Turmusaya. In the village of Burqa, settlers attacked the village from its northern entrance and tried to break into the house of a citizen in the area.
- Attacking the outskirts of the towns of Birzeit and Jifna, where clashes broke out between young men and settlers after they stormed the outskirts of Birzeit and attacked houses and stole 160 sheep and horses after they stormed the town of Jifna.
Nablus:
- Issuing a decision to bulldoze 33 dunams of land belonging to the village of Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya, adjacent to the main road on the Ramallah-Nablus road, and near the Al-Lubban Girls Secondary School. The occupation authorities handed the residents a military order for the bulldozing, under the pretext of ‘providing security for the settlers,’ and the bulldozing will affect more than 2 km of the village s plain.
- Attacking a house in the Khataba area in the village of Burin, located between the villages of Burin and Iraq Burin. Others attacked 3 citizens, including a woman, near the town of Beit Umar, while they were on their land, targeting their vehicle with stones.
- Attacking Khirbet Tana, which belongs to the lands of the town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus, and forced worshippers to evacuate the Beit Sheikh Mosque?
- Blocking a road with stones in the Abu Zeitoun area of Beit Dajan. Settlers also attacked the village of Duma, south of Nablus, and provocatively released their sheep among the homes of citizens in Area B.
- Attempting to burn down a house in the village of Duma, where a group of settlers set fire to part of a house belonging to Mah’d Dawabsheh, in the northwestern part of the village.
- Erecting a number of tents in the Madma village, in the northwestern area, which is classified as Area B, in a preliminary step to establish a pastoral settlement outpost aimed at strangling the village and preventing farmers from accessing their lands.
Salfeet:
- Attacking Palestinian vehicles with stones and obstructed the movement of Palestinians near Ein Sha er.
- Storming the Kafr Haris town to perform Talmudic prayers under heavy protection from Israeli occupation forces, who deployed throughout the area and closed several roads to secure the incursion.
- Bulldozing agricultural land and uprooting olive trees, claiming it was for military purposes. This threatens the livelihoods of dozens of families and inflicts severe damage on the agricultural sector in the Salfeet area, estimated at 150 dunams, planted with more than 600 mature olive trees.
Jenin:
- Storming Khirbet Sarouj located between the towns of Ya bad and Arqa, under the protection of Israeli occupation forces. A move comes after the occupation authorities previously approved the confiscation of the area s land to establish a new settlement.
- Storming an area adjacent to the eastern neighborhood of Jenin, following the Israeli government s approval of the re-establishment of the Ganim settlement which was evacuated in 2005.
Jordan Valley:
- Invading the Halq Rumman Ccommunity west of Jericho, positioned around residents homes and lands, created a climate of fear.
- Harassing residents in the Ras Ahmar and Malih communities in the northern Jordan Valley, vandalized water lines used by residents to irrigate their livestock. This is part of an ongoing effort to forcibly displace the population from the area to facilitate settlement expansion.
- Damaging water pipelines near the Ein Auja Spring, disrupting water access to agricultural and grazing lands in the area.
- Bulldozing agricultural land and destroyed water pipelines in the Ras Ahmar area, which supply 300 dunams of irrigated crops.

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