Israel announces Gaza outposts and 400m West Bank settlement funding ahead of elections

Israel's defense and finance ministers announced plans on Friday for three illegal settlements in Gaza and more than $400 million in funding to expand construction in the occupied West Bank. The moves come as Israel's military commander for the region praised violent outposts as "security partners" and as the country's far-right coalition races to expand control of land in occupied Palestine before national elections scheduled for October 27.

The defense minister, Israel Katz, said he intended to set up three "Nahal" outposts in northern Gaza, a type of military community that has historically paved the way for Israeli civilian settlements. Meanwhile, finance minister Bezalel Smotrich announced 1.3 billion shekels (£318 million) in funding for dozens of new Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The cabinet allocated the money last month but kept the decision secret due to expected US opposition, according to Israeli media reports.

Maj Gen Avi Bluth, who commands Israeli forces in the West Bank, told residents of extremist outposts that he "appreciates their work" and considered them to be partners in security with the military. Bluth, who grew up in a West Bank settlement himself, spoke at a meeting of the Farms Association, which represents settlements that are illegal even under Israeli law. These outposts play a key role in campaigns of terror that have driven Palestinians from their homes and lands across the occupied West Bank.

The impact of these policies on Palestinians is severe. In the northern Jordan Valley, road closures and settler violence have made life increasingly difficult for residents like Thaer Bisharat. The drive to Bisharat's home, which should take less than 10 minutes from the main road, now takes three hours due to closed gates and roving Israeli patrols. During a recent visit, Israeli forces destroyed three wells belonging to local Palestinians, including one owned by a relative of Bisharat's. The area, known for its fertile land, has seen farms half-abandoned and crops going thirsty after water was cut off by Israeli authorities.

The European Union has called on Israel to cease settlement expansion following reports of settler attacks against Palestinian children. Pressure is growing within the bloc to impose sanctions on Israel regarding the "illegal settlements and violence against Palestinians," according to Al Jazeera.

In London, thousands of pro-Palestine protesters are expected to gather on Saturday to call on Andy Burnham, who is set to become the next UK prime minister on Monday, to impose sanctions on Israel. The Metropolitan Police has set out conditions under the Public Order Act to prevent serious disruption at the National March for Palestine. Demonstrators are expected to demand that Burnham's government take meaningful action to address Israel's actions in Gaza.

The UN human rights office for Palestine published a report this week detailing how Israel uses settlers to lead annexation efforts, while systematic impunity for perpetrators ensures violence can grow unchecked. "Settler violence is state violence," the report stated.

Hagit Ofran, from the Israeli activist group Peace Now, said bulldozers were working on at least seven settlements that would be populated before polling day. "The government is on a reckless pre-election sprint to raid the public purse in order to create facts on the ground," Ofran said.

Dozens from Israel's political and military elite, including two former prime ministers and former heads of all its security services, have threatened legal action against their government over support for Jewish terrorism in the West Bank.

Peter Leary, deputy director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said: "If he really intends to break with Starmer's disgraceful legacy, he must start by imposing wide-ranging sanctions against Israel including a full arms embargo and a total ban on all trade that aids or assists Israel's violations of international law."

Burnham said last week, "my party didn't get it right and I am sorry about that," as he pledged to "strengthen our approach." He called for "measures to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements."

The Mahmoud Darwish Museum in Ramallah is hosting a solo exhibition by Turkish artist A. Yusuf Aygec examining memory and displacement in the context of the Gaza genocide. Organizers stated that the collection uses the olive tree as a central symbol of endurance and Palestinian rootedness.