日本語
한국어
Polski
Deutsch
Nederlands
Español
Français
Português
Italiano
Svenska
繁體中文
Dansk
// DOSSIER — israel-renewal-west-bank-e1-settlement-tenders
Global Condemnation Follows Israel's Renewal of West Bank E1 Settlement Tenders
REL_TIME: 22 Aug 2026 11:43Z · LANG: EN
The Israeli government's decision to issue construction tenders for 1,234 housing units under the controversial E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank has drawn widespread international condemnation. The E1 project, which aims to construct thousands of homes connecting the Ma'ale Adumim settlement with East Jerusalem, threatens to bisect the West Bank and sever East Jerusalem from Palestinian territories. Foreign ministers from across Europe, North America, and the Middle East, along with the United Nations and Palestinian leaders, warned that advancing the plan severely jeopardizes the viability of a contiguous Palestinian state and the two-state solution. Israeli officials defended the decision as a historic right, while critics accuse the government of attempting to solidify annexation ahead of upcoming national elections.
// Background
The E1 settlement plan spans approximately 12 square kilometers (4.6 square miles) between Jerusalem and the Ma'ale Adumim settlement bloc in the occupied West Bank. Initially frozen in 2021 due to international pressure, the plan was re-energized in August 2025 by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Opponents argue that building settlements in E1 disconnects northern and southern West Bank communities and isolates East Jerusalem, rendering a geographically contiguous Palestinian state impossible. Under international law and a July 2024 International Court of Justice advisory opinion, Israeli settlements in occupied territories are illegal.
// Key Developments
- Israel's Ministry of Construction and Housing opened bidding for 1,234 housing units as part of the broader 3,401-unit E1 settlement scheme.
- The project would physically connect Jerusalem with Ma'ale Adumim, severing East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank and bisecting northern and southern Palestinian territories.
- Joint statements of condemnation were issued by European nations (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Canada) and an 8-nation bloc (Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE).
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the development an existential threat to the two-state solution, invoking the July 2024 International Court of Justice advisory opinion.
- Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar countered international criticism by asserting the Jewish people's historical right to the land under the Balfour Declaration.
// Timeline
-
ICJ hands down provisional measures ordering Israel to prevent and punish direct public incitement to genocide.
-
International Court of Justice issues advisory opinion declaring Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories unlawful.
-
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announces the refreshed E1 settlement project.
-
Provisional ceasefire plan ends the two-year Israel-Hamas war.
-
Israel publishes tenders for 1,234 housing units in the E1 area, triggering immediate condemnation from Palestinian bodies.
-
UN Secretary-General expresses deep alarm; UK Foreign Secretary summons Israeli charge d'affaires; Israeli military operation traps ~40,000 Palestinians in Dahiriya.
-
France, Germany, Italy, and UK issue a joint statement rejecting the E1 tenders; Israeli FM Gideon Sa'ar defends the policy.
-
Türkiye and seven other regional/Muslim nations issue a joint condemnation demanding urgent international action.
-
Deadline for submission of bids on the E1 housing unit tenders.
-
Scheduled general elections in Israel.
// Perspectives
[Palestinian Authority & PLO]
Strongly condemned the plan, stating it confines Palestinians to disconnected enclaves and destroys prospects for a viable state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
[International Coalition (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Netherlands, Norway)]
Opposed the tenders as illegal under international law and unacceptable, urging immediate retraction to protect the two-state solution.
[Eight Arab and Muslim Nations (Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE)]
Categorically rejected the E1 project, condemned settler violence, and called for international sanctions and urgent UN Security Council action.
[Israeli Government]
Defended the move as a assertion of Jewish historical rights in the Land of Israel, rejecting foreign opposition and criticizing external blame.
[United Nations]
Expressed deep alarm, urging Israel to cease settlement expansion in accordance with international law and the ICJ Advisory Opinion.
// Quotes
“Britain will not stand back and accept the destruction of the two-state solution.”
“The Jewish people have the right to live throughout the Land of Israel, just as the British have the right to live in London and throughout the United Kingdom.”
“In the midst of an election campaign, the government is trying to turn the annexation vision of the pro-settlement right into reality and to tie the hands of the next government.”
