The Israeli government has approved plans to build nearly 5,300 new homes in about a dozen settlements on the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli organization Peace Now.
About 490,000 Israelis live on the West Bank in communities considered illegal under international law. The territory is also home to around three million Palestinians.
Since the war between Israel and the terrorist-designated Hamas broke out in Gaza last October, violence has escalated on the West Bank.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition includes several religious ultra-nationalist ministers who are themselves settlers, including Defense Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
On Wednesday, Peace Now reported that Israeli authorities have approved a seizure of 12.7 square kilometers of land in the Jordan Valley, the largest area Israel has taken in three decades.
