Israel yields to United Nations demand in a manner consistent with its own approach. Israeli officials announced a pause on new construction and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank for the next several months. The move followed condemnation from the Security Council of Israel’s legalization of new colonies in occupied Palestinian territories, described as a barrier to peace by the council. The commitment appears to come in the wake of a recent visit by the U.S. secretary of state, as violence between Israelis and Palestinians continues to rise.
Palestinian residents in the West Bank live under constant pressure, with thousands of radical settlers on land they claim. Of roughly 2.8 million Palestinians in the West Bank, about 450,000 Israelis live in 144 settlements. Additional outposts, several dozen points of settlement shemes not always approved by the central government, have created political tensions among Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conservative coalition. In East Jerusalem, there are 12 settlements housing around 220,000 people, and another 25,000 residents live in the occupied Golan Heights.
In a non-binding declaration, the United Nations Security Council, with its 15 members, stated that Israel’s continued settlement activity threatens the viability of a two-state solution. Last week Israel announced the legalization of several unauthorized outposts and approved plans to build roughly 10,000 new housing units in existing settlements. These actions were not expected to be rolled back, even as the United States expressed deep concern over the settlement expansion and labeled the UN proposal to condemn it as useless.
The Security Council’s stance this week largely aligned with U.S. positions, as it did not demand a withdrawal of measures nor issue a specific condemnation, a stance somewhat at odds with the position of the United Arab Emirates, which had pressed for stronger action. Palestinian civil society has criticized leaders for backing away from a harsher response. The Palestinian Liberation Organization, recognized as the official representative of the Palestinian people at the UN, did not issue a formal statement, and the Palestinian Authority has not asserted control in the occupied territories.
Washignton’s interests are a recurring theme in these developments. Critics argue that the Palestinian Authority seeks to appease U.S. administrations and occupation authorities while failing to reflect the broader wishes of the Palestinian people. Hamas and other groups have suggested that such shifts in posture benefit Israeli and American policymakers. Some observers contend that the United States can continue speaking against settlements while supporting a two-state framework in practice. A leader of the Palestinian National Initiative described the situation as evidence that Washington remains inconsistent in its policy toward Israel and the Palestinian territories.
There are also reports from British sources suggesting that Israel has promised reductions in certain measures while seeking to reach agreements on evacuations and the demolition of Palestinian homes. Palestinian families remain skeptical about these commitments as their homes lie in ruins and their communities face ongoing disruption. These tensions underscore the fragile balance in a region where multiple actors hold divergent aims and where international diplomacy continues to search for a path toward lasting peace.