Until 1996, settlement growth in the territories was stagnant and until the Disengagement, on August 2005, the number of settlements stood at 145.
In 1996, the government of Israel articulated for the first time, a commitment not to establish any new settlements. As of date, this commitment remains officially binding, however, this has not prevented the establishment of over 100 new settlements (known as outposts) on the West Bank. The purpose of these new settlements is to minimize the existing open space between permanent settlements by creating large settlement blocs encompassing more land.  In addition, today there exist approximately 100 outposts throughout the territories. The majority of these outposts are occupied and around half of them were established since Ariel Sharon became Prime Minister in February 2001. The term “outpost” refers to any area, (generally on a hilltop), with a number of structures, that is totally separated from the closest permanent settlement. The distance between an outpost and a permanent settlement can be a few hundred meters, however a majority of the outposts tend to span a number of kilometers. These outposts wish to become de facto settlements in their own right.  Each outpost collects its own taxes, has its own secretariat and absorption committees, etc.

What is an outpost? - click here.

For a table with the full outpost list and information about them - click here.
For the list of outpost which have been dismantled/transffered - click here

What is Settlement Watch Team? - click here.

To read the summery of the Sasson's Report (published on March 2005) - click here.

To read The West Bank - Facts and Figures - June 2006 - click here.

Click here for the Settlements and Outposts in the West Bank - A PowerPoint Presentation of maps and information regarding the settlements and Israel's obligations to freeze all settlement activity and to evacuate illegal outposts (November 2007)

*In some of the outposts that are listed below, we added a photo. Please consider the written text as more updated data.