On Monday, an anti-settlement watchdog reported that Israel has issued tenders for the construction of approximately 1,000 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. The organization stated that the new settlements will increase the population of the Efrat settlement by 40%, negatively impacting the development of nearby Bethlehem. Israel has occupied the West Bank, along with Gaza and East Jerusalem, since the 1967 Middle East War. Palestinians claim these areas for their future state and view settlement expansion as a major obstacle to peace. Despite international criticism, the Trump administration previously expressed support for Israeli settlement construction.