Israel’s housing ministry has issued tenders for the construction of 1,234 settlement homes in the E1 zone east of Jerusalem, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the international community. The E1 area is a strategically crucial strip of land whose development is widely regarded as a violation of international law.
The planned development would effectively bisect the West Bank, isolating East Jerusalem and cutting off the northern part of the territory from the south. This configuration is seen by many experts as a major impediment to the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right‑wing coalition has accelerated settlement construction since 2022, coinciding with the war in Gaza that began after the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023. Even after decades of delay, the government moved to give the go‑ahead for E1 in 2025, explicitly citing the “erasure” of a Palestinian state.
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband condemned the tender as “an unacceptable and destructive act”. He demanded that Israel retract the bid and halt all settlement expansion, warning that such actions are a direct breach of international law and threaten the viability of a two‑state resolution. The British envoy was summoned to London to discuss these concerns.
The tender deadline falls on 19 October, just days before Israel’s general election on 27 October, making it far more difficult for a future government to reverse the decision. Critics argue that engineers and contractors have already been linked to the project, further entrenching the initiative.
Local Palestinian communities, including 40 Bedouin settlements, have spoken out against the E1 project. Activists describe it as “destruction of communities, families and the very fabric of the West Bank”. The United Nations Secretary‑General’s spokesperson has also expressed deep alarm, urging Israel to refrain from further steps.
