Defense Minister Katz said the government approved a budget exceeding NIS1
billion (about $330m) to build Jewish settlements in the West Bank and new roads
near the Negev. The Defense Ministry said the plan is part of a government push
to expand West Bank settlements and will be implemented in phases from 2026 to
2029. The settlement issue remains a major obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian
peace, dating to Israel’s 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem and parts of the
West Bank.