Some 350,143 Israelis live in Judea and Samaria, according to figures from the Interior Ministry's Population Administration that have been seen by Israel Hayom. This represents a 4.5 percent increase from last year and is the first time that number has gone beyond 350,000 people.

This figure does not include Jerusalem neighborhoods that lie over the Green Line, such as Pisgat Zeev, Neveh Yaakov, Ramat Eshkol, Ramot, Armon Hanatziv (East Talpiot), Gilo and others where the Jewish population is an estimated 300,000. The international community considers the Jewish neighborhoods in north and east Jerusalem as settlements.

The figures show that 15,579 Israelis moved to Judea and Samaria over the last year, mostly to areas outside the main settlements blocs, areas which are not expected to remain under Israeli authority in the event of a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Ariel has close to 50,000 residents, while just over 45,000 live in Maaleh Adumim and 22,000 in the Etzion Bloc of settlements. In total, 116,824 Israelis live in the main settlement blocs, while more than 233,000 live outside the blocs.

The figures show that the Jewish population in the Judea and Samaria has virtually doubled since 2000, when there were 190,206 Jews living over the Green Line.

National Union party Chairman MK Yaakov Katz (Katzeleh) welcomed the figures.

"Despite the construction freeze in the last year, settlements in Judea and Samaria are expanding," he said. "At this rate, there will be some 400,000 settlers by the time the next elections come around, and there will be half a million Jews in Judea and Samaria within four years. Including East Jerusalem will bring us to over a million Jews, and then the transformation will be complete."