Israel has opened tenders for the construction of some 1,200 settlement homes in a strategically important part of the occupied West Bank, as the government seeks to end any chance of a Palestinian state.
Plans to build on the so‑called E1 area – east of Jerusalem – have long been internationally condemned. The development would effectively divide the West Bank in two and isolate East Jerusalem.
The deadline for bids arrives just days before Israel’s October general election, making it more difficult for any future government to overturn contracts that have been signed already. Settlements are illegal under international law.
Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war and annexed East Jerusalem in 1980, a move not recognised by most of the international community. Opposition to the E1 project argues that it would permanently sever the northern West Bank from the south and prevent the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state.
Peace Now, an Israeli anti‑settlement watchdog, has challenged the plans in court and warned that signing contracts before the election would “make it much harder for the next government to cancel the construction.”
Jamal Juma, a Palestinian activist, said the project would destroy communities and would require the eviction of more than 40 Bedouin communities.
Despite intense international and domestic opposition, the current Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, has taken steps to move ahead with the E1 construction. The housing ministry has now issued a tender for 1,234 of the 3,401 units approved by the government last August, covering about 12 square kilometres (4.6 square miles) between East Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim.
