Mr. Smotrich said the move was a response to the actions of Palestinian leaders in the West Bank and countries that have recognized the State of Palestine.

"No anti-Israel or anti-Zionist decision can stop the development of settlements. We will continue to fight against the idea of ​​a Palestinian state. This is my life's mission," said the Israeli finance minister.

The new 60-hectare settlement, called Nachal Heletz, will be part of the Gush Etzion settlement cluster and connect the area with nearby Jerusalem, Mr Smotrich said.

Most United Nations member states consider settlements built in the West Bank and other territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war to be illegal under international law.

In June, Israel announced it would legalize five outposts in the West Bank, establish three new settlements and seize large swaths of land where Palestinians want to establish an independent state, further fueling Palestinian anger.

The Palestinian Authority reiterated that the construction of settlements and the demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank constitute ethnic cleansing.

As Israel announced plans to build new settlements in the West Bank, Hamas said its fighters had engaged in fierce fighting with Israeli forces in the nearby city of Tubas.

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that one man was killed in an Israeli raid in Tubas, while four others were killed in an Israeli drone strike in Tamoun, a few kilometers to the south.

According to Palestinian Health Ministry figures, since the start of the conflict in Gaza, Israel has killed at least 620 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem - areas that Palestinians hope will become part of a future Palestinian state.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)