First Half of 2026
“Israeli Settlement Expansion Targets More Than 22,000 Dunams of Palestinian Land”

Preface,

Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank is one of the  tools used by Israel to consolidate control over Palestinian land and reshape the Palestinian geography. In recent years, settlement construction and expansion have accelerated significantly, with hundreds of settlement plans being advanced to build thousands of settlement housing units, alongside the approval of new master plans and the legalization of dozens of settler outposts established by Israeli settlers across the occupied West Bank governorates.

The impact of this policy is not limited to the expansion of the settlements’ built-up areas. It also extends to major changes in the use of Palestinian land surrounding settlements and settler outposts, through the appropriation of land for various settlement-related purposes under multiple designations/purposes, including land classified as “state land,” expansion of settlement jurisdiction areas, nature reserves, areas designated for security purposes without specifying the intended security use, historical sites, and many other pretexts.

These measures also contribute to the fragmentation and isolation of Palestinian communities, while connecting settlements and unauthorized settler outposts through a network of roads and infrastructure. Collectively, these policies contribute to reshaping the geographic and demographic landscape of the occupied West Bank and further entrenching Israeli territorial control over Palestinian land.

It is worth noting that the majority of settlement expansion activities are concentrated in locations—whether settlements, outposts, or even open areas—that are of significant geographical and strategic importance, such as the areas surrounding occupied Jerusalem; the major settlement blocs of Ma’ale Adumim, Givat Ze’ev, and Gush Etzion; and areas classified as “Area C” under the 1995 Oslo II Interim Agreement.

Analysis prepared by the Applied Research Institute–Jerusalem (ARIJ) examining settlement plans issued during the first half of 2026 reveals an unprecedented acceleration in the pace of Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank. The number of approved settlement plans by the Israeli occupation authorities by mid-2026 had already surpassed the total number recorded throughout the entire 2025. Accordingly, a total of 162 Israeli settlement plans had been approved, targeting 69 Israeli settlements. This represents a record number compared with the number of settlement plans issued in previous years as a whole. These plans targeted a total of 22,650 dunams of Palestinian land and also included the construction of 19,790 new settlement housing units. 

Figure 1: Distribution of Israeli Settlement plans in the occupied West Bank

Figure 1 shows the geographical distribution of Israeli settlement plans issued up to mid-2026. The majority of these plans are focused primarily in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Salfit Governorates, respectively. The plans include the construction of new settlement housing units within Israeli settlements, in addition to the allocation of vast areas for establishing or expanding Israeli industrial zones within existing settlements, as well as areas designated for agricultural use, public buildings, bypass roads, and other purposes.

Jerusalem Governorate ranked top in terms of the number of settlement plans, with 60 plans, followed by Bethlehem Governorate with 25 plans, and Salfit Governorate with 23 plans. Ramallah and Qalqiliya Governorates recorded 14 and 12 plans, respectively, while the number of plans in Nablus Governorate reached 11. This distribution (Figure 1) reflects Israel’s strategy of concentrating settlement construction within major settlement blocs that have constantly been accorded significant importance in Israeli settlement and territorial planning.

Palestinian Lands Targeted by Settlement Plans in the occupied West Bank

With regard to Palestinian land targeted through settlement plans issued up to mid-2026, the available data reveal significant variations in the areas targeted across the Palestinian governorates, as shown in Figure 2. Qalqiliya Governorate, in the northern West Bank, ranked first in terms of the area targeted through settlement plans, with 3,903 dunams, most of which were located in the settlements of Kedumim and Karnei Shomron.  Followed by Salfit Governorate, with 3,830 dunams, most of which were concentrated in the settlements of Ariel and Kfar Tapuach. Jericho Governorate ranked third, with 3,475 dunams, particularly in the settlements of Mitzpe Shalem and Argaman, which accounted for the largest areas targeted in the governorate.

Settlement plans also targeted 2,563 dunams in Jerusalem Governorate, most notably in the settlements of Giv’at Ze’ev, Pisgat Ze’ev, Ma’ale Adumim, Ramot, and Neve Yaakov. The plans further targeted 1,793 dunams in Hebron Governorate, distributed across six different settlements, and 1,657 dunams in Tubas Governorate, primarily through a major settlement plan targeting the Rotem settlement.

In Ramallah Governorate, the plans targeted 1,634 dunams, with the majority of the plans concentrated in the settlements of Modi’in Illit and Talmon. In addition, 1,301 dunams were targeted in Bethlehem Governorate, most of them in the settlements of Gilo, Har Homa, and Efrat. This distribution reflects the concentration of settlement plans in governorates containing strategically important locations, as well as major settlement blocs. Figure 2

Figure 2: Palestinian Lands Targeted for Expropriation through Israeli Settlement Plans in the Occupied West Bank

Israeli Settlement Construction: Expansion and Geographical Spread

The analysis also highlighted the geographical distribution of the new settlement units planned for construction in Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank. Jerusalem Governorate ranked first, with 4,449 settlement housing units, representing the largest number of units planned for construction in the occupied West Bank. Followed by Bethlehem Governorate, with 4,386 settlement units, and Salfit Governorate, with 2,248 units. These were followed by Qalqiliya Governorate, with 1,811 units; Ramallah Governorate, with 1,669 units; Nablus Governorate, with 1,606 units; and Hebron Governorate, with 1,589 settlement housing units. Figure 3

Figure 3: Geographical Distribution of Planned Israeli Settlement Units in the Occupied West Bank 

Photo 1: Israeli Settlement Plan No. 158/6 – the Construction of 500 Settlement Units on Land Belonging to Shufa, Tulkarm Governorate, for the Avnei Hefetz Settlement.

To recap, 

The Israeli expropriation and destruction of Palestinian land and property in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) for settlement construction and other related activities contravene the rules of international humanitarian law, particularly Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which clearly prohibits the “extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly.” Furthermore, Article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the occupying Power from transferring parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies. Article 49 also prohibits “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory,” regardless of their motive.

The Israeli occupation authorities impose harsh restrictions on Palestinian construction in the occupied West Bank, including the denial of building permits across the areas classified as Area C and the demolition of Palestinian buildings and livelihood on the grounds that they lack permits issued by the Israeli authorities. At the same time, the Israeli authorities continue to approve thousands of new settlement units and provide the infrastructure necessary to facilitate the expansion of settlements and settler outposts. These policies further restrict Palestinian urban development and deepen the fragmentation of the Palestinian land.

Prepared by:  
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem