Israeli cabinet advances West Bank settlement funding and Gaza military outposts

Israeli Defense Minister Katz announced plans for military outposts in northern Gaza, while Finance Minister Smotrich confirmed the allocation of 1.3 billion shekels for new West Bank settlements. The funding, previously kept confidential to avoid U.S. opposition, signals a hardening of coalition policy regarding territorial expansion. It remains uncertain how the U.S. administration will respond to the formalization of these settlement allocations.