Israeli attorney general defers bidding deadline for West Bank settlement project

Israel's attorney general has postponed the deadline for construction bids in the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank. This decision comes after international condemnation of the project, which would further isolate Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank. The E1 plan, approved by Israel last year, would see the construction of over 1,200 housing units.

The attorney general pushed back the deadline by one month, intending to avoid using the tender for election propaganda as the Israeli general election is coming up on October 27. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in a tight contest for re-election, has seen a surge in support for new Israeli settlements under his right-wing government.

The finance minister and leader of the Israeli settler movement, Bezalel Smotrich, criticized the attorney general's decision, accusing her of interfering in the election campaign. The mayor of Maale Adumim, an Israeli settlement that is expected to expand into the E1 zone, has also petitioned Israel's Supreme Court against the postponement, claiming the decision is political.

However, an Israeli court had earlier rejected a petition from rights groups arguing that the project would lead to the eviction of hundreds of Palestinians, stating that adequate legal safeguards are in place for the development project.