The separation wall next to the Arab neighbourhood of al-Eizariya.
‘Israel’ pushes E1 settlement plan near Jerusalem
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- ‘Israel’ advances a long-frozen E1 settlement plan east of Jerusalem.
- Palestinian officials warn the move severs Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings.
‘Israel’ has issued a major tender to build 3401 settlement units in the E1 area east of Jerusalem, a step Palestinian officials describe as a dangerous escalation in settlement expansion.
Muayyad Shaaban, head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, said the tender was issued by what he called the so-called ‘Israeli’ Land Authority. In a statement released Wednesday, Shaaban warned the move marks a shift from planning to execution in one of the most sensitive settlement schemes in West Bank.
From frozen plan to execution
Shaaban said the E1 plan had been formally frozen for nearly three decades due to international pressure, despite remaining on the books. Approval was granted in August 2025, and the new tender signals the start of implementation.
“This represents an extremely dangerous development in the accelerating assault on Palestinian land through settlement schemes,” Shaaban said. “The occupation authorities have moved practically from the planning and approval stage to the execution stage.”
The E1 area lies between Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim. Development there has long been opposed by Palestinians and much of the international community.
Cutting Jerusalem off
Building in E1 would effectively sever Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings and link Maale Adumim directly to the city as part of the so-called “Greater Jerusalem” project, according to Shaaban.
He said the plan would “undermine any realistic possibility of establishing a geographically contiguous Palestinian state”, by fragmenting the central West Bank.
Surge in settlement tenders
Shaaban said 2025 saw an unprecedented rise in settlement tenders. He reported that ‘Israel’ put forward a total of 10098 new settlement units during the year.
More than 7000 units were allocated to Maale Adumim, alongside 900 units in the Efrat settlement on land belonging to Bethlehem Governorate. He added that seven hundred units were issued in the Ariel settlement on land in Salfit, among other tenders.
“These tenders reflect an organized approach to deepening settlement control over Palestinian land,” Shaaban said.
Political context and warnings
Shaaban said the tenders cannot be separated from the broader political agenda of the 'Israeli' government, which he accused of turning settlement activity from a creeping policy into an openly declared annexation project, carried out through planning, construction, and legislation.
He warned that developments in E1 mark "a dangerous turning point in the Israeli colonial landscape"
Shaaban called on the international community to move beyond expressions of concern and take concrete action to halt settlement measures, saying they constitute a “blatant violation of international law and international legitimacy resolutions” and directly undermine prospects for peace and stability in the region.
