Gaza: Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced plans to approve tenders for 3,401 housing units in the E1 settlement area of the occupied West Bank, declaring the move is intended to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state.”
The E1 project, stalled for decades due to strong international opposition, is widely regarded as a potential “doomsday” scenario for the two-state solution.
The planned expansion would effectively split the West Bank in two, isolating East Jerusalem and severely limiting the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state.
Smotrich, who also oversees civilian affairs in the West Bank through the Defense Ministry, described the decision as part of a “de facto sovereignty plan” aimed at creating irreversible facts on the ground.
“This is Zionism at its best – building, settling and strengthening our sovereignty in the Land of Israel,” he said, adding that his “life’s mission is to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
The E1 area covers around 12 square kilometers between East Jerusalem and the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim. Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog, estimates the new tenders would increase housing in Ma’ale Adumim by roughly 33%.
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The plan has repeatedly been delayed over the years, most recently in 2022 and 2023 under pressure from the United States. However, the announcement comes amid a record pace of settlement expansion in the West Bank.
In 2023, more housing units were advanced than at any time since the Oslo Accords, with 2024 also marking a surge in new outposts.
