Israel’s government has approved the construction of 1,300 new homes in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, located south of occupied East Jerusalem, according to Israeli media outlet Channel 14. The decision was reportedly made unanimously by Israel’s Special Planning and Building Committee earlier this week. The new housing plan, centered in the Har Harushim area near Alon Shvut, includes residential buildings, schools, public facilities, parks, and a large commercial center meant to serve surrounding settlements. The approval comes amid renewed international criticism of Israel’s settlement activities. U.S. President Donald Trump recently commented that Israel was “not taking any action” in the West Bank, despite ongoing developments that contradict his statement. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has been accelerating settlement expansion ahead of next year’s Knesset elections, aiming to establish facts on the ground that hinder the creation of a future Palestinian state. Since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government took office in late 2022, approximately 48,000 settlement units have been advanced in the West Bank, averaging about 17,000 units annually. The United Nations has repeatedly condemned Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories as illegal under international law and a serious threat to the two-state solution.