Israeli planning authorities have given the go-ahead for the construction of more than 2,000 housing units in communities located in Judea and Samaria (also known as Judea-Samaria)
The Supreme Planning Council of the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s Civil Administration approved plans for 2,162 units as part of a larger effort to strengthen Israel’s control over the region.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich-who also serves as the Defense Ministry minister responsible for civil affairs in the area-celebrated the move.
“We continue to build the Land of Israel in practice,” he stated.
According to Smotrich, these approvals are not merely technical planning measures: they represent a national commitment that reinforces Israeli control over the land, increases national security, and creates concrete facts on the ground to prevent the formation of a terrorist Arab state in the heart of the region.
“We will continue to lead a broad wave of construction and regularization, because that is the path to victory, security, and growth,” the minister added.
According to the approved plans, more than a thousand units (1,006) will be built in Gevaot, a growing Jewish community in the Gush Etzion region of Judea.
The project aims to transform the area into a larger urban center, with the potential for thousands of additional residences in the future.
Another 922 units were approved in Har Bracha, in northern Samaria, near Nablus (Shechem), and 234 in Kiryat Arba, a city near Hebron.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has promoted an unprecedented expansion of Israeli control over Judea and Samaria since taking office about three and a half years ago, with the approval of tens of thousands of homes and several new communities.
Recent research shows that a large portion of the Israeli population supports this type of initiative: nearly 70% of Israelis want the country to extend its full sovereignty to the region, and 58% of Israeli Jews believe that Jewish communities there contribute to national security.
This decision reflects the view that strengthening the Israeli presence in these areas is essential for the country’s security and future.
Published in 05/31/2026 13h41
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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