Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Israeli occupation approval for 33 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling it a “historic achievement.” He said the policy is meant to block a Palestinian state and advance “practical sovereignty on the ground.”

Reports note the approvals include both new settlements and legalization of outposts. Around 750,000 settlers live in the occupied West Bank, including 250,000 near the eastern part of Jerusalem.

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