Plan would fund temporary housing, infrastructure and public services for 61 new settlements in strategic West Bank areas before planning approvals are completeThe cabinet is expected Thursday to approve a plan to fund the creation of 61 new settlements in the West Bank, marking one of the largest settlement expansions in decades, Axios reporter Barak Ravid posted on X.A draft government decision obtained by Ravid shows the plan would allocate more than $350 million over several years to move the settlements from paper to reality. Funding would cover temporary residential compounds, public buildings, and infrastructure even before formal planning approvals are complete.1 View gallery Establishment of the Rechavam settlement in the West Bank (Photo: Yozer Or, Hillel Ben-Or)The proposal is being championed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Officials say the government is pushing for approval before a potential vote to dissolve the Knesset and trigger new elections, which could complicate large-scale budget allocations.Many of the new settlements are in strategically sensitive locations, including along Highway 90 in the Jordan Valley, the South Hebron Hills, and areas designed to create territorial continuity between existing settlements. Analysts say the plan further reduces the prospects for a future Palestinian state.Under the proposal, the government would fund temporary settlement sites with mobile homes, public facilities, community infrastructure, and support services. It would also finance roads, utilities, and other core infrastructure for permanent settlements planned to follow.Ravid reported that last week the cabinet approved about $35 million for planning and regulatory work for the same settlements. The new proposal moves beyond planning into implementation, allowing temporary sites to be established while approvals are still underway, effectively creating “facts on the ground” that could evolve into permanent communities.The move is part of a broader government effort to strengthen control over Area C of the West Bank and accelerate settlement expansion. Over the past year, the cabinet has authorized dozens of new settlements, marking the largest wave of approvals in years.