Israel grants approval for a settlement construction that potentially fragments the West Bank region.

The Israeli government has given final approval for the construction of 3,401 housing units in the E1 area of the West Bank, a move that has been met with international and Palestinian condemnation. This decision effectively splits the West Bank into northern and southern parts, severing the territorial contiguity critical for a viable future Palestinian state.

The E1 area, located east of Jerusalem and adjacent to the large Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, has long been a contentious site. The development of the area has been intermittently promoted since the 1990s but was previously frozen due to US pressure during previous administrations. The current approval comes after swift progression through the Israeli Civil Administration’s Higher Planning Council and signals a firm move by the Israeli government to expand settlements in a way that many see as an effort toward de facto annexation of the West Bank.

The implications of this settlement project are significant. The E1 project divides the West Bank geographically and demographically, disrupting the metropolitan area that connects Ramallah, East Jerusalem, and Bethlehem. This development is seen as obstructing Palestinian statehood, with Palestinian authorities and international actors strongly condemning the project as erasing any realistic possibility for a contiguous, sovereign Palestinian state.

The United Nations Secretary-General has criticized the approval as a violation of international law, urging Israel to halt settlement expansion and respect UN resolutions and the International Court of Justice opinion. Far-right Israeli officials, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have openly stated that the construction is intended to permanently undermine Palestinian statehood and resist international recognition efforts.

Israel's government, currently dominated by religious and ultranationalist politicians with close ties to the settlement movement, is pushing forward with infrastructure work in E1, which could begin in the next few months, with construction of homes starting in around a year. The plan includes around 3,500 apartments that would abut the existing settlement of Maale Adumim. The finance minister has been granted Cabinet-level authority over settlement policies and has vowed to double the settler population in the West Bank.

The settlement project, if completed, would effectively cut the West Bank in two, making the prospects for a future independent Palestinian state with geographic integrity increasingly uncertain. Peace Now, an organization that tracks settlement expansion, states that the settlement in E1 is aimed at sabotaging a political solution. Palestinians and rights groups believe the settlement project could destroy hopes for a future Palestinian state.

As the situation in the West Bank continues to escalate, marked increases in attacks by settlers on Palestinians, evictions from Palestinian towns, Israeli military operations, and checkpoints that choke freedom of movement have become more common. The international community considers Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank to be illegal and an obstacle to peace. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to maintain open-ended control over the occupied West Bank, annexed east Jerusalem, and the war-ravaged Gaza Strip. More than 700,000 Israelis now live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

Sources:

[1] The Guardian. (2025, August). Israel approves 3,401 settlement homes in West Bank's E1 area. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/01/israel-approves-3401-settlement-homes-in-west-banks-e1-area

[2] Haaretz. (2025, August). Netanyahu government approves construction of thousands of settlement homes in E1. [online] Available at: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-netanyahu-government-approves-construction-of-thousands-of-settlement-homes-in-e1-1.98017167

[3] Reuters. (2025, August). Israel approves 3,401 settlement homes in West Bank's E1 area. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-approves-3401-settlement-homes-west-banks-e1-area-2025-08-01/

[4] Al Jazeera. (2025, August). Israel approves 3,401 settlement homes in West Bank's E1 area. [online] Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/1/israel-approves-3401-settlement-homes-in-west-banks-e1-area

[5] Middle East Eye. (2025, August). Israel approves 3,401 settlement homes in West Bank's E1 area, drawing international condemnation. [online] Available at: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-approves-3401-settlement-homes-west-banks-e1-area-drawing-international-condemnation

Israel grants approval for a settlement construction that potentially fragments the West Bank region.