Israel to approve nearly 2,000 new homes in Judea and Samaria

The planned expansion includes 133 homes in Tapuah West, 720 in Avnei Hefetz, 568 in Einav, 178 in Ganei Modi’in, 246 in Rosh Tzurim, and 128 in Etz Efraim.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israel’s Supreme Planning Council is expected to authorize 1,973 new housing units across Judea and Samaria in an upcoming meeting, continuing what officials describe as an accelerated wave of construction initiated by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

The Civil Administration’s Planning Department released Thursday’s agenda, detailing several residential projects slated for approval.

The planned expansion includes 133 homes in Tapuah West, 720 in Avnei Hefetz, 568 in Einav, 178 in Ganei Modi’in, 246 in Rosh Tzurim, and 128 in Etz Efraim.

Officials said the decision is part of Smotrich’s broader effort to strengthen Jewish communities throughout Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley.

Since taking office, the minister—who also holds authority over civilian affairs in the region—has advanced multiple rounds of building approvals, positioning settlement growth as a key component of his agenda.

“The construction momentum continues, and we are continuing to build throughout our land,” Smotrich said in a statement. “Since the beginning of the year, nearly 30,000 new housing units have been approved in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley. We will continue to develop, build, and take root in all parts of the Land of Israel. This is the most Zionist, moral, and proper response to those who seek to undermine our right to our land.”

In August, Smotrich announced that he had approved tenders for the construction of approximately 3,400 new housing units in the Samaria area near Jerusalem, declaring the move would put the “nail in the coffin” of a future Palestinian state.

According to Smotrich, the units are part of the long-stalled E-1 project, which would establish new Jewish communities between Jerusalem and its eastern suburb, the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim.

Plans to build in this area have been frozen for decades due to international opposition, as the strip of land is considered highly strategic for the potential establishment of an independent Palestinian state.