Overview

• Bezalel Smotrich announced approval for 3,401 housing units in the E1 corridor, declaring the project will "bury the idea of a Palestinian state."
• The expansion plan has not yet received formal ratification and is set for discussion by a Defense Ministry technical committee next week, with NGOs warning construction could begin within months.
• The United Nations, European Union, Arab capitals and Turkey condemned the decision as a breach of international law and a death blow to the two-state solution.
• The U.S. State Department offered a contrasting view, arguing that a stable West Bank enhances Israeli security and supports its regional peace objectives.
• Opponents warn that constructing in E1 would sever territorial contiguity between Palestinian population centers and bolster Israel’s settler footprint.