Settlement expert Khalil Al-Tafkaji has warned that Israel continues to impose new realities on the ground in the West Bank and Jerusalem, treating them as integral to the "Hebrew state" and advancing its sovereignty over these areas.

Al-Tafkaji highlighted the occupation’s escalating expansion projects, including land confiscations, infrastructure development, and arbitrary measures. He noted the ethnic cleansing of Bedouins in the Jordan Valley and Area C, the reduction of Palestinian presence, and the revocation of Palestinian Authority privileges in Area B. These actions, he said, mark a significant step in Israel's settlement agenda.

Al-Tafkaji emphasised that Jerusalem remains a key focus of these plans. Existing settlements are being expanded, and new ones are being established, particularly in the south, as part of the "Greater Jerusalem" project. Infrastructure developments, such as tunnels and bridges, aim to integrate East and West Jerusalem under Israeli control, further sidelining Palestinians.

The expert revealed that Israel is accelerating plans for 2050, including the confiscation of 24,000 dunams from Khan al-Ahmar to complete the Greater Jerusalem project, which would encompass 10% of the West Bank. These efforts aim to cement Jerusalem as the capital of a single "Hebrew state" with no room for Palestinian partnership.

Settlement activities in Palestinian neighbourhoods, such as Silwan, Ras al-Amoud, and Beit Safafa, involve home demolitions and the establishment of outposts to displace residents and encircle these areas with Israeli settlements.

Notably, 2024 has seen a sharp rise in settlement projects and land confiscations, with March marking the largest land seizure in three decades.