Israeli NGO Director Describes West Bank Settlement Expansion Since 2022

Lior Amihai, executive director of Peace Now, said the Israeli government has expanded West Bank settlements through bureaucratic measures since December 2022. He stated that the policy aims at annexation without a formal declaration. Amihai said the government has shifted authority over the territory from the military to civilian ministries.

He added that this change departs from the prior understanding that the occupation was temporary.

Amihai said the government has approved new settlement activity and infrastructure projects that were previously restricted under international guidelines. He stated that these steps occurred while other national events, including judicial reform efforts and the Gaza war, drew public attention.

Amihai said the majority of Israeli public opinion does not support the current settlement policy. He noted that Peace Now has tracked both physical construction and the administrative processes behind it. >"The government led a systematic program to annex the territories and, apart from officially declaring that the territories are annexed, they are doing everything else.