This is a timeline of the development of and controversy over Israeli settlements. As of January 30, 2022 the West Bank settlement population was 490,493 and the settler population in the Golan Heights was almost 27,000 and in East Jerusalem the settler population was around 220,000.
1967
The cease-fire agreement following the 1967 Six-Day War leaves Israel in control of a number of areas captured during hostilities. From Jordan, Israel gains control of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. From Egypt, Israel gains control of the Sinai Peninsula up to the Suez Canal, and the Gaza Strip. From Syria, Israel gains control of most of the Golan Heights, which since 1981 has been administered under the Golan Heights Law. The municipal borders of Jerusalem are extended to include all of the Old City as well as other areas. Residents within the new municipal borders are offered the choice between citizenship (subject to a few restrictions) and permanent residency (if they wished to retain their Jordanian passports). The Sinai, Gaza Strip, and West Bank are put under Israeli military occupation. Residents are not offered citizenship or residency, though they typically have de facto work permits within Israel and freedom of travel there.
1972
Settler population. West Bank: 1,182. Gaza Strip: 700. East Jerusalem: 8,649. Golan Heights: 77. Total: 10,608. The West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba is founded.
1975 The West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adummim is founded.
1977 The West Bank settlements of Elkana, Beit El and Karnei Shomron are founded.
1978
Israel forcibly evacuates its citizens from the Sinai and demolishes their homes as the area is returned to Egypt pursuant to the Camp David Accords. The last Israeli community in the area, Yamit, is evacuated by early 1982.
August
The West Bank settlement of Ariel is founded.
1979
March
United Nations Security Council Resolution 446 is passed. The resolution states that it "Determines that the policy and practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity and constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East". The resolution is passed 12 votes to 0 with 3 abstentions. This is the first of many such UN resolutions against the Israeli settlements.
1980
The Knesset asserts Jerusalem's status as the nation's "eternal and indivisible capital" by passing the Jerusalem Law. The UN declares the Jerusalem Law "null and void", and the Security Council in resolution 465 ordered Israel to dismantle the settlements.
1981
December Israel extends its law to the Golan Heights, passing the Golan Heights Law, which grants permanent residency, ID cards, and Israeli citizenship to the residents, but does not formally annex the territory.
1983
Settler population. West Bank: 22,800. Gaza Strip: 900. East Jerusalem: 76,095. Golan Heights: 6,800. Total: 106,595. The West Bank settlement of Giv'at Ze'ev is founded.
1985
Settler population. West Bank: 44,100. Gaza Strip: 1,900. East Jerusalem: 103,900. Golan Heights: 8,700. Total: 158,700. The West Bank settlements of Betar Illit and Oranit are founded.
1989
Settler population. West Bank: 69,800. Gaza Strip: 3,000. East Jerusalem: 117,100. Golan Heights: 10,000 Total: 199,900.
1990
Settler population. West Bank: 78,600. Gaza Strip: 3,300. East Jerusalem: 135,000. Golan Heights: 10,600. Total: 227,500.
1991
Settler population. West Bank: 90,300. Gaza Strip: 3,800. East Jerusalem: 137,300. Golan Heights: 11,600. Total: 243,000.
1992
Settler population. West Bank: 101,100. Gaza Strip: 4,300. East Jerusalem: 141,000. Golan Heights: 12,000. Total: 258,400.
1993
Settler population. West Bank: 111,600. Gaza Strip: 4,800. East Jerusalem: 152,800. Golan Heights: 12,600. Total: 281,800.
1994
Israel begins work on the West Bank barrier.
1995
Settler population. West Bank: 133,200. Gaza Strip: 5,300. East Jerusalem: 157,300. Golan Heights: 13,400. Total: 309,200.
1996
Settler population. West Bank: 142,700-139,974. Gaza Strip: 5,600. East Jerusalem: 160,400. Golan Heights: 13,800. Total: 322,500. The West Bank settlement of Modi'in Illit is founded.
1997
Settler population. West Bank: 154,400-152,277. Gaza Strip: 5,700. East Jerusalem: 161,416. Golan Heights: 14,300. Total: 335,816.
1998
Settler population. West Bank: 163,300-164,800. Gaza Strip: 6,100. East Jerusalem: 165,967. Golan Heights: 14,900. Total: 350,267.
1999
Settler population. West Bank: 177,411-177,327. Gaza Strip: 6,337. East Jerusalem: 170,123. Golan Heights: 15,313. Total: 369,184.
2000
Settler population. West Bank: 192,976-190,206. Gaza Strip: 6,678. East Jerusalem: 172,250. Golan Heights: 15,955. Total: 387,859.
September
Al-Aqsa Intifada begins.
2001
Settler population. West Bank: 200,297.
2002
Settler population. West Bank: 214,722-211,416. Gaza Strip:7,277. East Jerusalem: 175,617. Golan Heights: 16,503. Total: 414,119.
2003
Settler population. West Bank: 224,669-223,954. Gaza Strip:7,556. East Jerusalem: 178,601. Golan Heights: 16,791. Total: 427,617.
April
Israel and the Palestinians agree to the Road map for peace plan, in which Israel undertakes to freeze settlement building in all the occupied territories to accompany unconditional cessation of violence by the Palestinians.The roadmap, Full text, BBC News 30-04-2003
2004
Settler population. West Bank: 234,487-235,263. Gaza Strip:7,826. East Jerusalem: 181,587-176,566. Golan Heights: 17,265. Total: 441,828. The Israeli Government and Parliament approve the evacuation of the Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip and four settlements from northern Samaria." Nurit Kliot, "Resettlement of Refugees in Finland and Cyprus: A Comparative Analysis and Possible Lessons for Israel", in Arie Marcelo Kacowicz, Pawel Lutomski. Population Resettlement in International Conflicts: A Comparative Study, Lexington Books, 2007, p. 57.
2005
Settler population. West Bank: 258,988-247,514. Gaza Strip:0. East Jerusalem: 184,057-178,913. Golan Heights: 17,793. Total: 460,838.
March
The Sasson report finds that Israeli state bodies have been discreetly diverting millions of shekels to build West Bank settlements and outposts that were illegal under Israeli law. The report exposes the existence of at least 150 such illegal outposts that lack proper government authorization. The Israeli government confirms plans to increase the size of the Maale Adumim settlement, in the West Bank near Jerusalem, by 3,500 homes. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat criticizes the move, saying "[This] sabotages all efforts seeking to get the peace process back on track," and "The Israeli government wants to determine Jerusalem's fate by presenting the settlements and wall as a fait accompli.".
August
All 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the northern West Bank* (or northern Samaria)"Instead, he chose total disengagement from Gaza and the dismantlement of four settlements in northern Samaria." Zvi Shtauber, Yiftah Shapir. The Middle East Strategic Balance 2005-2006, Sussex Academic Press, 2007, p. 123. "Prior to forming his new coalition with the Labor Party, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon strong-armed members of his Likud cabinet to support Labor's idea of unilateral withdrawal from Gaza and four settlements in northern Samaria." Getz, Leonard. "Likudniks Against Sharon: Rebels or Loyalists?", The Jewish Exponent, 01-13-2005. "Understandably so: in the end, the Gaza withdrawal took all of six days while the pullout from four settlements in northern Samaria was accomplished in a single day." Zelnick, Robert. Israel's Unilaterialism: Beyond Gaza, Hoover Press, 2006, p. 157. "The four West Bank settlements that Israel is evacuating are all located in the biblical Land of Israel — territory that observant Jews believe was promised to the Jewish people in the Old Testament. The area of the West Bank, known as northern Samaria, was inhabited by the tribe of Menashe, one of the 10 tribes of Israel that were forced into exile." "Biblical significance of West Bank settlements", International Herald Tribune, August 23, 2005. "Others not only support comprehensive talks but call for abandonment of Israel's plan to disengage from Gaza and four settlements in northern Samaria." Sofaer, Abraham D. "Disengagement First" , Hoover Digest 2005 No. 1, Hoover Institution. "In August 2005, Israel vacated the Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip--mainly in Gush Katif--as well as four settlements in northern Samaria." Inbari, Motti. , Journal of Church and State, Autumn, 2007. are forcibly evacuated as part of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan.
2006
Settler population. West Bank: 268,400-261,879. East Jerusalem: 181,823. Golan Heights: 18,105. Total: 461,807-468,328.
2007
Settler population. West Bank: 276,462 -282,000. East Jerusalem: 184,707. Golan Heights: 18,105. Total: 475,404.
November
Annapolis Conference is held. Palestinians demand settlement freeze as precondition for talks however Israel stands by plan to build new settlements in East Jerusalem.
December
Israel decides to build 300 more Israeli homes in the Har Homa neighborhood of East Jerusalem, near Bethlehem. The move is condemned by the United States and the European Union.
2008
West Bank settler population: 290,697.
March
The Jerusalem municipality announces plans to build 600 new housing units in East Jerusalem. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice states in response that settlement expansion should stop and was inconsistent with 'road map' obligations.
November
The Israeli Supreme Court gives the Israeli government 45 days to explain why it hasn't taken down the illegal outpost of Migron in accord with its commitments to the 2003 Road map for peace plan.
December
The Gaza War begins.
2009
January
The Gaza War concludes.
June US President Barack Obama makes his famous Cairo speech in which he says "The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements". Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak authorizes the construction of 300 new homes in West Bank settlements.
August US President Barack Obama demands a complete freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The Israeli government agrees to a freeze in the West Bank. Peace Now argues that Israel is attempting to fool the United States. On 25 August 2009 Netanyahu says that he will attempt to gain an agreement with the U.S. to continue building settlements before attempting to talk with the Palestinians. On 28 August 2009 US officials said they would not impose conditions on the parties, but that it would be up to the parties themselves to determine if the threshold for talks had been met. Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar defended the freeze as an attempt to "protect the vital interests - Jerusalem and the relationship with the United States - and to avoid national isolation, because we won't be able to do the things close to our hearts while under international isolation."
September Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal called Israel's proposal to temporarily halt settlement construction in exchange for improved relations with Arab countries "Dangerous", as he viewed it as an attempt to avoid US demands. The Hamas leader's opposition to the Israeli proposal was supported by Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa.
November