Overview
- A government notice on the Israel Land Authority website invites proposals to build 3,401 housing units in the E1 area east of Jerusalem.
- Peace Now, which first reported the posting, says the publication signals an accelerated timeline with preliminary work possible within weeks if contracts and permits proceed.
- The plan would effectively cut the occupied West Bank in two and further isolate East Jerusalem, undermining prospects for a contiguous Palestinian state according to opponents.
- The tender sets a mid-March deadline for bids, after which selections, contracting and municipal permitting could move quickly toward groundworks.
- Top officials including Bezalel Smotrich and Benjamin Netanyahu have championed E1 as negating Palestinian statehood, drawing condemnation from governments that deem West Bank settlements illegal, with December approvals also advancing 19 new settlements.