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4w ago

Israel Approves E1 Settlement Building, Drawing Swift Global Rebuke

The planned 3,401-unit project still faces a final planning hearing on August 20, with global bodies warning it would breach international law.

An Israeli flag flutters, as part of the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim is visible in the background, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, August 14, 2025. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
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Overview

  • Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced approval to begin work on roughly 3,401 housing units in the E1/Ma’ale Adumim area east of Jerusalem.
  • The European Union, United Nations and German Foreign Ministry condemned the move as unlawful and said it would undermine any viable two-state solution.
  • Key bureaucratic and planning steps remain, with Israel’s Supreme Planning Council set to hold a decisive hearing on August 20 to finalize the project’s approval.
  • Smotrich asserted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump backed the revival of E1, but neither office has confirmed his claim.
  • Rights groups report recent Israeli settler attacks injuring Palestinians in villages such as Susya, underlining heightened tensions and humanitarian concerns.