Israeli authorities have announced plans to construct nearly 1,000 new homes for settlers in the occupied West Bank, according to an anti-settlement organization revealed on Monday.

Peace Now reported that the construction of 974 housing units would lead to a 40% increase in the population of the Efrat settlement, further impeding the growth of the nearby Palestinian city of Bethlehem. Hagit Ofran, who oversees settlement monitoring for the organization, indicated that actual construction will commence only after the tendering process and the required permits are acquired, which could take a minimum of another year.

Israel gained control of the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, during the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinians seek to establish a state encompassing these territories and consider the settlements a significant barrier to achieving peace, a viewpoint supported by a broad array of the international community.

During his time in office, former President Donald Trump provided significant support for the settlement expansion, and although Democratic administrations have expressed greater criticism, they have seldom implemented measures to limit construction.

Within the West Bank, Israel has established over 100 settlements, which range from small outposts to fully organized neighborhoods that feature apartment complexes, shopping centers, and recreational spaces. Approximately 500,000 settlers currently reside in the occupied territory, which is also home to about 3 million Palestinians. The settlers enjoy Israeli citizenship, while Palestinians live under military governance with some administrative powers exercised by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.

Numerous prominent human rights organizations have labeled the situation as akin to apartheid, a characterization that the Israeli government refutes, arguing that the West Bank is historically and biblically significant to the Jewish people and opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Peace Now, which advocates for a negotiated two-state solution to the ongoing conflict, criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration for continuing to expand settlements, even as dozens of hostages taken during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, remain unaccounted for in Gaza.

In a statement, they emphasized, “While the people of Israel focus on the release of hostages and a resolution to the conflict, the Netanyahu government is aggressively pursuing settlement expansions that jeopardize the potential for peace and compromise.”