Ahead of Israel's parliamentary elections on October 27, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is accelerating measures to expand Israeli control over Palestinian territories. According to Irit Katz, an associate professor of architecture and urban studies at the University of Cambridge, this expansion is part of a pre-election dynamic aimed at strengthening Israeli presence in the West Bank and Gaza. The upcoming elections follow the Hamas attack in October 2023 and the subsequent war in Gaza, which shifted political focus back toward Palestinian territories. With Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party trailing in opinion polls, expanding territorial control has become a central message of the pre-election campaign. In recent weeks, Netanyahu's government has launched a rapid legislative offensive to secure a majority and satisfy ultra-Orthodox allies. Meanwhile, new settlements in the occupied West Bank and military outposts in northern Gaza represent significant steps forward in consolidating control.
Bias read (Conservative): The article emphasizes actions by the Israeli government under Netanyahu to expand control over Palestinian territories, including new settlements and military installations. It frames these moves as strategic pre-election maneuvers to consolidate power and appeal to right-wing voters, while downing





