Israeli settlements and outposts continue to expand ahead of October elections

Lucy WilliamsonMiddle East correspondent, reporting from Jerusalem Israel’s current government has pushed forward Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank at breathtaking speed, approving more than 100 new settlements, including hilltop outposts which were built illegally without Israeli planning permission or government authorisation. The government also lifted a 20-year ban on Israeli settlement in the area around Jenin in the far north West Bank, and has pushed forward long-frozen plans to