Settlements refer to Israeli civilian communities established beyond the 1949 Armistice Lines (the “Green Line”), primarily in the West Bank/Judea and Samaria. The legal status of these communities is complex.

Israel maintains that these communities are built on disputed rather than occupied territory since no internationally recognized sovereign state previously controlled these areas. Jordan’s occupation of the West Bank (1948-1967) was recognized by only two countries, and Egypt never annexed Gaza during its control of that territory.

Settlements range from small outposts to large urban communities, with a total population of approximately 490,000 Israelis living in the West Bank (not including East Jerusalem). Settlement populations are diverse, with residents choosing to live in these areas for various reasons, including religious connection to biblical sites, affordable housing, quality of life, and security considerations.

In peace negotiations, Israel has consistently indicated willingness to dismantle isolated settlements as part of a final agreement (as demonstrated in the Gaza disengagement of 2005), while seeking to retain major settlement blocs near the Green Line through land swaps, a principle accepted by Palestinian negotiators in previous peace talks.