Israeli Parliament voted on the construction of new settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and 60 parliamentarians voted in favor and 49 parliamentarians voted against this initiative. Likud Party led by the Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and the far-right nationalist Habayit Hayehudi Party support the construction of new settlements, whereas the Labor Party led by İzak Herzog oppose this initative. 4 thousand new apartments and houses are expected to be built on an area of 800 hectares across 55 illegal settlements.

Labor Party argues that more settlements will deepen the divide in Israel, and many human rights organizations suggest that settlements prevent the peaceful solution of the Palestinian issue. The Parliament is expected to ratify the project, which is criticized by the international public, after two more sessions on the issue.