RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israel has made it clear that it has no intention of halting settlement projects in the West Bank and is actively strengthening and expanding them.

Antoine Shalhat, director of the Israeli Scene unit at the Palestinian Forum for Israeli Studies, told Al-Monitor, “The settlement activities in the West Bank reflect the current government’s support and intention of expanding settlements." Shalhat, whose unit covers Israeli developments that impact Palestinians, added that this inclination is further evidenced by the fact that Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked are both part of the religious Zionism faction, who believe that the Holy Land was promised to the Israelites by God, and thus modern Jews are entitled to settle it.

On Dec. 1, TV7 Israel reported that Shaked allocated 500,000 shekels ($158,000) for the “development of municipal services” to settlers in Hebron, a first since the occupation of the city in 1967.

Shaked previously served as justice minister and signed in 2017 an order — along with IDF General Roni Noma —  to establish a municipal services directorate for settlers in Hebron. She recently reiterated her intention to make the decision permanent, which will turn the directorate into a de facto municipality providing full services and receiving a budget from the Interior Ministry.