nine illegal colonies have appeared in the West Bank since the start of the conflict, an “unprecedented” increase, according to an NGO

In addition to this “record” number, the Peace Now organization identified a “record” of “18 new roads paved or authorized by settlers”.

A progression “unprecedented” in the occupied West Bank. Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, nine illegal Israeli settlements have appeared in this Palestinian territory, according to a new study by the Israeli NGO Peace Now, which opposes colonization.

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The West Bank, territory occupied since 1967 by the Israeli army, has experienced a sharp increase in violence since the start of the war in Gaza, but also an increase in the activities of certain settlers aimed at “marginalize” the Palestinians, denounces Peace Now. Besides this number “record” new wild colonies over three months, the organization also recorded a “record” of “18 new roads paved or authorized by settlers”.

Some three million Palestinians live in the occupied West Bank. The territory is also populated by 490,000 Israelis established in settlements, deemed illegal under international law but recognized by Israel. Wildcat settlements are settlements that are both contrary to international law and illegal from the point of view of the Israeli state.

A record number of acts of violence

“The three months of war in Gaza are being exploited by settlers in order to create a state of affairs on the ground and thus take control of larger parts of zone C”a portion of the West Bank under Israeli civilian military control and where settlements are concentrated, underlines Peace Now.

Several tenors of the pro-colonies movement are ministers in the government of Benyamin Netanyahu, which contributes to creating “a political environment” favorable to the development of projects of certain settlers, according to the organization.

Acts of violence by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank recorded a record in 2023, according to the Israeli NGO Yesh Din. The UN also recorded 1,225 settler attacks on Palestinians during the year.