ISRAEL has opened the door to begin construction on its contentious E1 settlement project near Jerusalem, a step that could effectively bisect the West Bank and complicate the creation of a future Palestinian state, according to a government-issued tender.
AP cited on Wednesday that the tender, which calls for bids from developers to construct 3,401 housing units, was reported by the anti-settlement group Peace Now.
Yoni Mizrahi, head of the group’s settlement monitoring division, said initial work could begin within weeks, marking a major advance on a project that has been under consideration for more than two decades but stalled under pressure from previous US administrations.
The E1 area, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, has been described by critics as a key obstacle to Palestinian territorial contiguity. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right politician who oversees settlement policy, has long advocated for the project.
In August, when Israel granted final approval, he declared, “The Palestinian state is being erased from the table not with slogans but with actions. Every settlement, every neighborhood, every housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea.”
The tender, now publicly available on the Israel Land Authority website, signals a renewed push to advance settlement construction in E1, potentially inflaming tensions with the international community, which overwhelmingly considers West Bank settlements illegal under international law.
The announcement comes amid wider regional unrest. Israeli forces have recently clashed with Palestinians in the West Bank, including an incident at Birzeit University in which 11 students were reported injured during a raid by Israeli troops.
University president Talal Shahwan condemned the action as “clear brutality,” while Israeli authorities said the operation targeted “main violent individuals” after students allegedly threw rocks at soldiers.
Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions in Gaza are slowly improving.
The United Nations reported that aid groups now have sufficient food to meet the caloric needs of the population for the first time in over two years.
Stéphane Dujarric, a UN spokesperson, said the stock levels are enough to meet 100% of the minimum standards, though ongoing restrictions on dozens of NGOs, including Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam, continue to hinder relief efforts.
The European Union has called on Israel to lift these restrictions, warning that continued limitations could result in deaths from hunger, exposure, and lack of medical supplies.
In Syria, U.S.-brokered talks resumed on Tuesday in Paris, with Israeli and Syrian officials seeking a security agreement to ease tensions after Israel seized control of a previously UN-patrolled buffer zone.
A joint statement confirmed the establishment of a communication cell for ongoing coordination on intelligence sharing, military de-escalation, and diplomatic and commercial engagement under U.S. supervision.
Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has expressed no desire for conflict with Israel, while Israel emphasised border security and protection for the Druze minority, present in both countries.
The combined developments in the West Bank, Gaza, and Syria underscore the fragility of the region, as Israel presses forward with settlement expansion while continuing military operations and facing international scrutiny over humanitarian access and potential violations of international law. - January 7, 2025
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