Israel Grants Settlement Codes to Five Additional Outposts in the West Bank

Translation by SadaNews - On Thursday, the Israeli Ministry of Interior announced the granting of settlement codes to five additional outposts in the West Bank, aimed at legally recognizing them.

According to the Hebrew Channel 7, this step represents the end of a years-long settlement process, transforming these outposts into fully recognized official settlements, as translated by SadaNews.

These five settlements join 20 others that have recently been legalized and legitimized.

Among these settlement outposts is Havat Gilad, which was established in 2002 west of Nablus in northern West Bank and was later converted into an official settlement, located on private Palestinian land and considered part of an expansionary settlement project linking different areas in the West Bank.

This new step means that those outposts that have become recognized settlements will receive direct funding from all government ministries and their approved budgets, including infrastructure, through direct connection to the "Mekorot" water network and official electricity, regular appointment of a security coordinator for each settlement, and the right for their residents to carry personal weapons, along with providing civil services such as access to Israeli postal services and official educational institutions.

The Israeli Minister of Settlement in the Ministry of Defense, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, welcomed this step. He said, "In about two months, we were able to issue 25 settlement codes, thereby ending years of regulatory procedures... this is the fruit of the efforts of many loyal partners to this path."

He added, "Settlement in the West Bank continues to grow and thrive at full force. We are eliminating the idea of establishing a Palestinian state and preventing the establishment of a terrorist state that could threaten Israel."