Israel has given final approval for a controversial settlement project that would bisect the occupied West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the E1 project received its final go-ahead from a defence ministry planning commission on Wednesday.
The ultra-nationalist minister said: "With E1, we are delivering finally on what has been promised for years. The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions."
The plan involves building approximately 3,400 new housing units between Jerusalem and the existing settlement of Maale Adumim. The project's restart could further isolate Israel as Western allies grow frustrated with its continuation of the Gaza war and may recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.
International condemnation
The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the announcement, saying the E1 settlement would isolate Palestinian communities and undermine the possibility of a two-state solution. A German government spokesperson said settlement construction violates international law and "hinders a negotiated two-state solution and an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank".
Jordan's foreign minister warned Israel is "killing all prospects" for Middle East peace. French President Emmanuel Macron has previously cautioned the Gaza offensive would lead to "true disaster" and "permanent war".
Netanyahu's broader strategy
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not commented specifically on the E1 announcement. However, during a visit to another West Bank settlement on Sunday, he said: "I said 25 years ago that we will do everything to secure our grip on the Land of Israel, to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, to prevent the attempts to uproot us from here. Thank God, what I promised, we have delivered."
Construction timeline
Infrastructure work could begin within months and house building within a year, according to Peace Now, an Israeli advocacy group that tracks settlement activity. The project was previously frozen in 2012 and 2020 following objections from US and European governments.
International isolation concerns
Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this citing historical and biblical ties to the area. The E1 plan represents a strategic corridor that would effectively cut the West Bank in half and isolate Palestinian communities from East Jerusalem.
Sources used: "PA Media", "The Guardian", "The Independent"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
