Israeli settlement expansion mapped as settler attacks reach record levels
An Al Jazeera visual explainer documents the growth of recognised settlements and unauthorised outposts, alongside rising attacks causing casualties and property damage.
An animated visual explainer published by Al Jazeera has mapped the expansion of Israeli settlements and outposts across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, documenting a settlement network that has grown substantially since Israel occupied the territories in 1967.
Citing Peace Now, Al Jazeera reports 163 recognised settlements: 148 in the West Bank and 15 in East Jerusalem. Those settlements housed 744,700 Israeli settlers in 2024, while more than 400 additional outposts bring the combined number of settlements and outposts to more than 500.
The figures are difficult to finalise because outposts are built without formal Israeli authorisation and may later be legalised or incorporated into recognised settlements. Nearly 28,000 housing units were advanced within existing West Bank settlements in 2025.
The explainer also records a sharp increase in settler attacks. Data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs shows 1,836 attacks causing casualties and/or property damage in 2025, compared with 852 in 2022. OCHA recorded a further 1,418 such attacks between January and July 2026, while 5,131 have been recorded since 7 October 2023.
The International Court of Justice, the UN Security Council and the International Committee of the Red Cross have said the settlements violate international law. The ICJ reaffirmed that position in its July 2024 advisory opinion.
