Israel inaugurates Ma'aleh Argot settlement in southern West Bank

Israeli authorities have inaugurated a new settlement named ‘Ma'aleh Argot’ within the Gush Etzion settlement bloc in the southern West Bank. The ceremony was attended by several ministers and members of the Knesset, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli.

This marks the third new settlement established within a single week. Earlier in the week, authorities opened the ‘Makida’ (or ‘Doran’) settlement northwest of Hebron and the ‘Noa’ settlement southeast of Jenin. The Gush Etzion regional council stated that the new settlement aims to strengthen the Israeli presence and create connectivity between the eastern and western parts of the bloc.

The West Bank and East Jerusalem have seen increased settlement activity since the formation of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in late 2022. While the international community and the United Nations consider these settlements illegal under international law, Palestinian data indicates there are currently over 750,000 settlers in the West Bank, including approximately 250,000 in East Jerusalem.