MAALE ADUMIM, West Bank — Israel's far-right finance minister announced on Thursday the approval of a contentious new settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Critics, including Palestinians and human rights organizations, argue that this development could effectively divide the West Bank into two separate regions, jeopardizing future plans for a Palestinian state.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that the construction, which is expected to receive final approval later this month, could undermine Palestinian statehood efforts. He remarked, "This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognize and no one to recognize. Anyone in the world who tries today to recognize a Palestinian state — will receive an answer from us on the ground."

The settlement plan focuses on a tract of land known as E1, located east of Jerusalem. This area has been under consideration for over two decades but faced delays primarily due to pressure from the United States during previous administrations. Smotrich praised former President Donald Trump and U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee as "true friends of Israel as we have never had before."

The E1 plan is set to receive final approval on August 20, concluding two decades of bureaucratic discussions. On August 6, a planning committee rejected all petitions aimed at halting the construction, which had been filed by rights groups and activists. If the process proceeds swiftly, infrastructure work could begin in the coming months, with home construction potentially starting within a year.

Ahmed al Deek, a political adviser to the Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister, condemned the approval, calling it a "colonial, expansionist, and racist move." He stated, "It falls within the framework of the extremist Israeli government’s plans to undermine any possibility of establishing a Palestinian state on the ground, to fragment the West Bank, and to separate its southern part from the center and the north."

Rights groups have also criticized the plan. The organization Peace Now described it as "deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution," warning that it would lead to "many more years of bloodshed."

This announcement follows recent comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who expressed a strong attachment to the vision of a Greater Israel. While he did not elaborate, supporters of this idea advocate for Israeli control over not only the occupied West Bank but also parts of neighboring Arab countries.

The expansion of Israeli settlements is contributing to a challenging reality for Palestinians in the West Bank, especially as global attention shifts to the situation in Gaza. Reports indicate an increase in settler violence against Palestinians, evictions from Palestinian towns, and numerous checkpoints that restrict movement.

Currently, more than 700,000 Israelis reside in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war, which Palestinians claim for a future state. The international community largely views Israeli settlement construction in these areas as illegal and a significant barrier to peace.

Israel's government is primarily composed of religious and ultranationalist politicians with strong ties to the settlement movement. Smotrich, a former settler leader, has been given cabinet-level authority over settlement policies and has pledged to double the settler population in the West Bank. Israel maintains that the West Bank is disputed territory, with its future to be determined through negotiations, while it withdrew from Gaza in 2005.