Occupation completes tender for 3,401 settlement units in "E1" project east of Jerusalem

The Israeli occupation authorities have completed the tender for all planned settlement units within the "E1" project east of occupied Jerusalem, totaling 3,401 units. Bids for 2,167 new units are set to open on October 25, 2026, in addition to 1,234 units previously tendered. The project threatens the geographical contiguity of the West Bank.

The Israeli occupation authorities have completed the tender for all planned settlement units within the "E1" project east of occupied Jerusalem, totaling 3,401 units. The occupation authorities are set to open bids on October 25, 2026, for the construction of 2,167 new settlement units, in addition to 1,234 units previously tendered, covering all units planned under the scheme. The "E1" project extends between Jerusalem and the "Ma'ale Adumim" settlement, and is seen as a step that strengthens settlement contiguity in the area and threatens to separate the northern West Bank from its southern part and fragment it. The Jerusalem Governorate stated that the project threatens to cut geographical contiguity between the north and south of the West Bank and undermine the possibility of establishing a geographically contiguous Palestinian state. The plan is not limited to residential units but also includes infrastructure, commercial, and operational projects. This comes amid escalating settlement projects in Jerusalem and the West Bank, with Palestinian warnings about the repercussions of implementing the project.