Overview

• Israel’s Civil Administration recently approved about 3,412 units on the roughly 12‑square‑kilometre E1 tract, and the signing clears the way for preparatory work to start.
• UN Secretary‑General António Guterres warned the build would cleave the West Bank and threaten a contiguous Palestinian state, drawing support from European condemnations including Germany and the UK.
• Several Western governments, including Britain and France, have said they intend to pursue recognition of Palestine at the United Nations later this month.
• Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and other far‑right ministers backed E1 and cast it as a step to “bury” the prospect of Palestinian statehood.
• Israeli NGO Peace Now said infrastructure could begin within months and housing within about a year, as security raids and tensions across the West Bank continue to escalate.