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31m ago

Israel Finalizes E1 Settlement Plan, Moves Toward Construction in West Bank

The advance tests long-standing opposition to E1 building and signals a hard-right drive critics say undercuts prospects for a contiguous Palestinian state.

Palestinian hamlets are seen at the E1 area, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, between the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim and the occupied West Bank town of Eizariya, on Aug. 14, 2025.
A dusty valley with small roads and paths cut into the side of a hillside, which sits beside a small collection of buildings.

Overview

  • An Israeli planning committee granted final approval last week for roughly 3,400 housing units in E1, with building planned on two plateaus despite difficult terrain.
  • E1 spans about 4.6 square miles between Ma'ale Adumim and East Jerusalem, a placement that analysts warn could impede north–south territorial continuity for a future Palestinian state.
  • The decision drew strong international condemnation, while U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee said large-scale development there is a decision for Israel, marking a softer stance than prior U.S. policy.
  • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected meaningful two-state commitments, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich champions expansion to prevent Palestinian statehood.
  • Officials are moving toward breaking ground as settlement growth continues in a West Bank that now houses about 500,000 Israeli settlers alongside roughly 3 million Palestinians.