Israel has given final approval to a highly contentious settlement project in the West Bank, known as E1, which is expected to further fragment Palestinian territory and advance the goal of Israeli hard-liners.
The project, located near Jerusalem, will see the construction of 3,400 additional housing units on a sensitive tract of land that both Israelis and Palestinians consider their capital. Human rights groups and European countries have denounced the move as a major blow to prospects for a functional Palestinian state, arguing it could bisect the central West Bank and prevent Palestinian neighborhoods from growing into the area.
Critics say the project could also put hundreds of Palestinians at risk of expulsion and undermine international law. However, Israeli hard-liners see the approval as part of their effort to erase the idea of a Palestinian state and bolster Hamas’s position.
The decision comes as the international community focuses on the devastating war in Gaza, with some countries, including the UK, denouncing the move as a flagrant breach of international law. The US ambassador to Israel has refused to comment on the project’s merits, citing the Israeli government’s authority to make decisions on its own territory.
The approval marks another step forward for settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, which has seen a surge in activity under the current government. Critics say this is an attempt to create “facts on the ground” that will prevent a Palestinian state from being established.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/world/middleeast/israel-e1-settlement-west-bank.html