Israel opens up tenders for controversial West Bank settlement project
Israeli plans to build on the area east of Jerusalem - which would divide the occupied West Bank in two - have long been internationally condemned.
Israel has launched a call for bids to construct around 1,200 new homes in a disputed area of the West Bank, as part of a plan to undermine any prospects for a Palestinian state. The proposed settlement, located in the strategically important E1 region east of Jerusalem, has been repeatedly denounced by the international community as illegal under international law.
Critics argue that the development would effectively partition the West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem, a move that would make the creation of a Palestinian state virtually impossible. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has called the tender a "destructive act" and urged Israel to halt the plans immediately, retract the tender, and cease all settlement expansion.
Israeli officials, however, have rejected Miliband's criticism, with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accusing Britain of meddling in the country's internal affairs. Despite international opposition, the Israeli government has been expanding settlements since the 1967 Middle East War, now housing approximately 700,000 Jews on land claimed by Palestinians for a future state.
The current government, led by right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has accelerated settlement growth since taking power in late 2022. Under international pressure, Israel had previously delayed plans for E1 construction, but the current administration approved the project last August. The tender, covering about 12 square kilometers between East Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim, is set to close on October 19, just days before Israel's general election on October 27, making it difficult for any future government to overturn the decision.
Written by urgent.news from BBC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
