Israel has moved to significantly expand its presence in the occupied West Bank, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announcing plans to construct 763 new housing units in the Eli settlement south of Nablus.
The development is expected to triple the size of the existing community, marking a sharp escalation in settlement activity that has drawn international condemnation and heightened regional instability.
7 billion in infrastructure and thousands of new housing units has also faced sharp criticism from Israeli non-governmental organizations, signaling deep domestic and international opposition to the policy shift.
The announcement comes amid a broader wave of expansion plans, with earlier reports indicating Israeli authorities are advancing proposals for more than 1,000 additional settler homes across the West Bank.
A separate government proposal to invest $2.7 billion in infrastructure and thousands of new housing units has also faced sharp criticism from Israeli non-governmental organizations, signaling deep domestic and international opposition to the policy shift.
For markets, the escalation reinforces geopolitical risk premiums in the region.
Investors are closely monitoring the potential for renewed violence, diplomatic fallout, and the impact on regional trade and energy flows.