National Office: Occupation Authorities Continue to Construct More Bypass Roads to Strengthen Colonization in the West Bank

SadaNews - The National Office for the Defense of Land and Resistance to Settlements stated in its weekly report that the occupying government relies on a network of colonial roads as an effective tool to reshape the geography of the West Bank and solidify control over Palestinian land.

The report clarified that these roads are used to connect settlements, colonial outposts, and so-called "pastoral farms" to each other, while isolating Palestinian communities and transforming them into separate enclaves.

It pointed out that the occupying authorities allocate substantial budgets to construct hundreds of kilometers of bypass and security roads designated for settlers, which leads to consuming large areas of West Bank land and seizing additional land adjacent to these roads to establish what it described as "buffer security zones," as part of a policy of separation, cutting connections, and isolating Palestinians, creating geographical barriers that hinder the expansion of Palestinian villages and cities.

The report indicated that the network of colonial roads surrounds Palestinian communities and forces residents to use secondary and longer routes, while allowing settlers to move freely and easily.

It added that this network represents a part of the "militarization" of the area and the organization of settlers' movement as a security and colonial priority, designed to bypass densely populated Palestinian community centers and provide safe and quick movement for settlers between settlements and Israeli cities.

It noted that these roads have advanced infrastructure, including lighting and security systems, while most Palestinian road networks lack such services and facilities.

In this context, the occupying government is currently considering adopting a large-scale plan to allocate more than one billion shekels to pave several new roads in the West Bank, as part of a plan that includes more than 100 colonial settlements and 160 farms. The budget, which amounts to 1.075 billion shekels, will be divided between the Ministries of Transport and Defense to meet the immediate infrastructure needs for safety.

According to Israeli Channel 14, a specific budget has been allocated for the four evacuated settlements in the northern West Bank (Homesh, Sanur, Janim, and Kadim), in addition to a wide range of additional settlements that have been created or will be created.

The Minister of Finance in the occupying government, the far-right Bezalel Smotrich, who also oversees settlement management in the West Bank, described the decision as "historic," claiming it aims to enhance what he referred to as "state security" and to bolster colonization in the West Bank.

Smotrich stated that his government is "leading a revolution in settlement security," which includes more than 100 settlement gatherings and 160 farms, indicating that the plan will ensure organized and safe traffic for settlers by integrating essential security elements on these roads.

Returning to the timeline of this policy, Netanyahu's government has approved projects to construct hundreds of kilometers of colonial bypass roads during the years 2024, 2025, and until mid-2026, allocating budgets exceeding billions of shekels with the aim of isolating Palestinian communities, connecting colonial outposts to major blocs, and creating what is known as "Life Fabric" roads to tear apart geographical connections.

Key bypass roads and networks of colonial roads that have been constructed or expanded during this period in the West Bank can be summarized as follows:

Focusing on Road (60), which penetrates the West Bank from north to south, from Jenin to southern Hebron, reaching Beersheba.

The Ramallah-Jerusalem road network, through launching a massive expansion project for this road, especially in the stretch extending from the town of Hizma north of Jerusalem to the "Ayyoun al-Haramiah" area north of Ramallah, along with the seizure of thousands of dunams and the appropriation of land belonging to (Sinjil, Eastern Lubban, Eastern Al-Mazra'a, and Sawiya) villages for expansion purposes.

The colonial road (45), where in 2026 work was carried out to grade this road, linking settlements in northern Jerusalem, connecting them to the main road network, in addition to "Life Fabric" roads (Area E1 and Jerusalem) with budgets in the millions of shekels; aimed at preventing Palestinians from reaching Area (E1).

Linking the "Ma'ale Adumim" settlement to Jerusalem city to divide the West Bank into two sections: northern West Bank roads (Nablus and Jenin area), coinciding with decisions to cancel the "Disengagement Law" and to resume colonization in "Homesh" and "Sanur," after connecting the settlements with over 223 kilometers of colonial dirt roads for the purpose of linking random outposts to the Jordan Valley and severing geographical links between the provinces of Nablus and Jenin.

Netanyahu's government also approved a wide network of additional bypass and security roads extending across the length and width of the West Bank during this period, having recently approved in July 2026 a massive new funding plan to reinforce and expand transport networks linking isolated settlements and pastoral farms; to cement the reality of "de facto annexation."