Settlement expansion hits all-time high in 2025, 13 towns legalized

Tenders for construction of 5,667 new housing units in Judea and Samaria issue so far in 2025 — 50% higher than the previous record year of 2018.

By World Israel News Staff

This year marked an all-time high in settlement expansion, with a record number of new housing tenders issued.

So far in 2025, the Israeli government and the Israel Land Authority have granted tenders for 5,667 housing units in Israeli towns across Judea and Samaria, nearly 50% more than the number issued in the previous record-setting year.

In 2018, 3,808 housing unit tenders were issued, the most prior to 2025.

The publication of construction tenders is the third of four stages in the bureaucratic approval process for building in Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria, compared to three stages for construction in most parts of Israel.

Initial building plans must first be approved by the Higher Planning Committee before being greenlighted by the Defense Ministry before going to the Israel Land Authority and Housing Ministry for the issuing of tenders.

Once tenders have been published, local settlement councils are able to issue building permits, subject to the oversight of the Defense Ministry’s Civil Administration.

According to a report by the left-wing Peace Now organization, which lobbies against Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria, the 5,667 housing units granted tenders this year will house some 25,000 people once construction is complete.

On Monday, the Israeli military granted retroactive recognition for 13 fledgling communities in Samaria, effectively legalizing their status.

IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, who is charged with overseeing Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria, signed off on the establishment of town boundaries for 13 preexisting communities, some of which were founded more than three decades ago.

The towns include Sa-Nur, an Israeli community in northern Samaria that was evacuated during the 2005 Gaza disengagement plan and resettled by settlement activists.

Three towns in the Jordan Valley were normalized Monday, including Giv’onit, Ir HaTmarim, Gadi — along with four in the Samaria Regional Council and six in the Benjamin Regional Council.

Along with Sa-Nur, the newly recognized communities in Samaria include Havot Yair, Tal Menashe, Maoz Tzvi, Achiya, Harsha, Migron, Nofei Prat, Adi Ad, and Shvut Rachel, which was established in 1991 and is home to more than 150 families.

Bezalel Smotrich, who serves as both finance minister and minister in the Defense Ministry, handling settlement affairs, was actively involved in the effort to secure recognition for the 13 communities.

“This is a major step toward formalizing communities and integrating them as an inseparable part of the State of Israel,” Smotrich said.

“Establishing new jurisdictional boundaries provides stability, allows for planning and development, and strengthens community blocs in the heart of the country.”