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On Wednesday, the Israeli housing ministry moved forward with plans to develop 1,234 of the 3,401 housing units originally approved by the Israeli government in August of last year. This decision comes despite legal challenges from Bedouin Palestinians residing in the area and Israeli peace organizations. The approved land for construction spans approximately 12 square kilometers (4.6 square miles) situated between East Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement.
At the time the project was announced, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, known for his ultranationalist and settler views, remarked that the prospect of a Palestinian state was “being erased.” The tender for these housing units is set to close on 19 October, just over a week before Israel’s general election scheduled for 27 October. This timing is key, as it diminishes the likelihood of a subsequent government rescinding the approved tenders.
Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has established roughly 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, accommodating about 700,000 Jewish residents. These territories are sought by Palestinians, along with Gaza, for their envisioned future state. Approximately 3.3 million Palestinians currently live in close proximity to these settlements. Despite strong international opposition, Israeli governments have repeatedly permitted the expansion of these settlements over the years.
Settler expansion has notably accelerated since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resumed office in late 2022, leading a right-wing coalition with strong settler support. This increase has also coincided with the outbreak of the Gaza war, which was initiated by Hamas’s attack on 7 October 2023. Critics of the E1 housing project argue that it would effectively sever the northern and southern parts of the West Bank from each other. This would create a significant obstacle for the development of a continuous Palestinian urban corridor linking Ramallah, East Jerusalem, and Bethlehem, further undermining the feasibility of a Palestinian state
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