Settlements, Jerusalem, and the War After October 7, 2023

Israel began establishing civilian settlements in the West Bank and Gaza shortly after occupying these territories in 1967, justified on security, historical, or religious grounds depending on the government in office. The international community, including the UN, largely considers that settlements in occupied territory violate international law, a position Israel disputes, and the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank has grown to several hundred thousand people, distributed in blocs near the 1967 line and in enclaves scattered through the interior, with settlement expansion repeatedly condemned by UN Security Council resolutions. Israel unilaterally evacuated its settlements in the Gaza Strip in 2005 while maintaining and continuing to expand those in the West Bank.