Israel advances 3,401-unit illegal settlement plan near Jerusalem

JERUSALEM, Palestine (MNTV) — Israeli authorities have finalized tenders covering 3,401 housing units in the E1 settlement project near Jerusalem, advancing a controversial plan that would further fragment the occupied West Bank and separate East Jerusalem from Palestinian areas.

Arab News reported that the tenders cover the full number of units approved for the project, with the latest 2,167-unit tender added to an earlier tender for 1,234 homes. 

Palestinian officials and rights groups have condemned the move, warning that construction in E1 could severely undermine the territorial continuity required for a viable Palestinian state. 

The E1 area lies between East Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim. Critics say building there would create a continuous Israeli settlement corridor while disrupting Palestinian movement between the northern and southern parts of the West Bank.

The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission described the transition from planning approval to competitive tenders as a major step toward implementation. 

It said the process was creating increasingly concrete conditions on the ground that could make Palestinian territorial continuity more difficult to maintain. 

The latest tender is scheduled to open for bids on Oct. 25, just two days before Israel’s parliamentary election. 

Israeli rights group Ir Amim said the timing demonstrated the government’s determination to advance the project and establish facts on the ground before the vote. 

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. 

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has openly supported the E1 project, previously saying it would “bury” the idea of a Palestinian state. 

His position has drawn condemnation from Palestinian officials and international critics who argue that settlement expansion is being used to obstruct Palestinian statehood.

The Palestinian presidency condemned the latest tender process, saying the E1 development violates international law. 

Palestinian officials have repeatedly warned that connecting Ma’ale Adumim with Jerusalem through expanded settlement construction would further entrench Israel’s control over occupied Palestinian territory.

The project has also faced opposition from European governments. Britain, France and Canada recently imposed restrictions concerning trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, while British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has warned that E1 could make a Palestinian state unviable.

The United States has historically been among the governments that opposed construction in the E1 area, although current US policy has shifted considerably under successive administrations. 

The latest reporting does not identify a new US response to the September 2026 tender, making any claim of current American approval or opposition premature.

The expansion comes as Israel continues to face international scrutiny over settlement activity across the occupied West Bank. 

The United Nations, Palestinian authorities and most countries consider Israeli settlements in the occupied territory illegal under international law, while Israel disputes that position. 

The E1 project also threatens Palestinian Bedouin communities in the area, including Khan Al-Ahmar, located between East Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim. 

British officials have previously warned that clearing communities in the area and establishing new settlement infrastructure could amount to further displacement of Palestinians. 

The European Union has separately said the E1 plan would divide the West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem, describing Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law and warning that the project fundamentally harms prospects for a two-state settlement.