Israel has cleared a final hurdle before starting construction on the E1 settlement project near Jerusalem, according to a government tender reviewed in the report.
The tender seeks bids from developers and would clear the way to begin construction of the E1 project, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem. It is publicly accessible on the website for Israel’s Land Authority and calls for proposals to develop 3,401 housing units.
Peace Now first reported the tender. Yoni Mizrahi, who runs the group’s settlement watch division, said initial work could begin within the month.
Settlement development in E1 has been under consideration for more than two decades, but it was frozen due to U.S. pressure during previous administrations. The report said the international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank to be illegal and an obstacle to peace.
The E1 project is especially contentious because it runs from the outskirts of Jerusalem deep into the occupied West Bank. Critics say it would prevent the establishment of a contiguous Palestinian state in the territory.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right politician who oversees settlement policy, has long pushed for the plan to become a reality. In August, Smotrich said, “The Palestinian state is being erased from the table not with slogans but with actions,” and added that “Every settlement, every neighborhood, every housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea.”
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