Israel is poised to give formal planning approval to the controversial E1 settlement project, which would see more than 3,400 homes built in the occupied West Bank. Critics warn the move would split the territory in half, isolate East Jerusalem, and undermine any prospect of a Palestinian state.
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The Supreme Planning Council is expected to back the plan next week after rejecting objections by Israeli NGOs. The project, frozen for decades due to international opposition, would expand the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim towards Jerusalem, deepening territorial fragmentation.
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Far-right Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds a defence ministry portfolio, celebrated the project, saying construction would “bury the idea of a Palestinian state.” Smotrich, sanctioned by multiple Western nations for inciting violence, has long called for Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank.
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Speaking at the settlement site, Smotrich claimed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former U.S. President Donald Trump had agreed to revive the plan, though neither has confirmed the claim. The U.S. State Department dodged questions, reiterating its focus on Gaza and regional stability.
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The EU immediately condemned the development, saying annexation violates international law. Germany, Norway, and the UK also issued strong objections, warning the project would make a two-state solution impossible. A UN spokesperson urged Israel to reverse its course.
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Despite international outrage, Smotrich insisted that Israel would respond to foreign recognition of a Palestinian state with “facts on the ground,” pointing to homes, roads, and Jewish families in the settlements. Critics say his remarks signal Israel’s intent to accelerate annexation.
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Israeli NGO Peace Now accused Netanyahu’s government of exploiting the current conflict to expand settlements and block peace efforts. “The government is condemning us to continued bloodshed instead of working to end it,” the group said, stressing that Palestinian statehood remains the only path to lasting peace. First raised in the 1990s by then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the E1 plan has long been considered a diplomatic red line. Even with Trump-era support, analysts suggest Netanyahu may hesitate to move forward with actual construction given the severe international consequences.
