Israel Poised to Advance Controversial E1 West Bank Settlement Plan, Drawing Global Condemnation

Israel is reportedly poised to grant formal planning approval for the highly contentious E1 settlement project, which proposes over 3,400 new homes in the occupied West Bank. This long-frozen plan, if advanced, would dramatically expand the Ma’ale Adumim settlement towards Jerusalem, effectively bisecting the West Bank and further isolating East Jerusalem from the Palestinian territories.

The Supreme Planning Council is expected to greenlight the project next week, having reportedly dismissed objections from Israeli NGOs. This anticipated decision follows fervent advocacy from far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has openly declared his belief that construction on E1 would ‘bury the idea of a Palestinian state.’ Smotrich, recently sanctioned by several Western nations for incitement, asserted that both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former US President Donald Trump had agreed to revive the development, though immediate confirmation from either has been absent.

The prospect of E1’s approval has triggered immediate and strong international condemnation. The European Union has reiterated its rejection of any territorial changes outside of a political agreement, deeming annexation illegal under international law. Norway’s foreign minister accused Israel of seeking to appropriate Palestinian land to obstruct a two-state solution, while a UN spokesperson urged Israel to reverse the decision, warning of its impact on peace prospects. Despite the US State Department’s evasive response to questions regarding the plan, the UK’s Foreign Office previously labeled E1 construction a ‘flagrant breach of international law’ threatening a future Palestinian state.

Israeli NGO Peace Now has decried the Netanyahu government’s actions, stating it is ‘exploiting every minute to deepen the annexation of the West Bank and prevent the possibility of a two-state solution,’ cautioning that such moves condemn the region to continued conflict.

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