Israel's government has approved more settlements in the West Bank. This decision was made on Friday. It gives official support to nineteen existing settlements. It also allows two old outposts to be rebuilt. These outposts were removed almost twenty years ago.
Palestinians strongly disagree with this action. They say it is a big step towards taking over Palestinian land. They also say it breaks international law. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich supported this plan. He is a leader in Israel's right-wing politics.
This means more Israeli people will live in the disputed area. The government will give more money and building help. They will also give more legal protection to people living in these places. Israeli news reported that the United States knew about this plan.
Palestinian officials are very unhappy. They believe this is a plan to stop a future Palestinian country. Mu'ayyad Sha'ban said it takes away Palestinian land. Rouhi Fattouh said it breaks international law twice.
Many countries and the United Nations believe Israeli settlements are illegal. Israel does not agree with this. The new approval also brings back two outposts from 2005. Hamas in Gaza called it a "dangerous escalation." They want the world to help.
Experts think this will make peace talks harder. Settlements are a big problem for a two-state solution. They divide Palestinian land. This decision shows the Israeli government wants more settlements. This makes relations between Israelis and Palestinians worse. It will be very hard to change this later.