Israel Opens Tenders for 1,200 West Bank Homes

Israel has opened tenders for the construction of about 1,200 homes in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, a move that would further entrench Israeli settlement development ahead of a national election.

The Israeli housing ministry has issued a tender for 1,234 homes out of 3,401 units approved last August. The planned development is in the E1 zone, east of Jerusalem, covering about 12 sq km (4.6 sq miles) between East Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim.

E1 Project And International Condemnation

The E1 plan has long attracted international criticism. Opponents say it would divide the West Bank in two and isolate East Jerusalem, effectively undermining hopes for a future Palestinian state.

Settlements are illegal under international law. Israel has built around 160 settlements housing about 700,000 Jews since it captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan during the 1967 Middle East war, in land Palestinians want, along with Gaza, for a hoped-for state. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside settlements in the West Bank.

Israel’s government has allowed settlement growth despite years of international opposition. Expansion has increased sharply since Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022 leading a right-wing, pro-settler coalition, as well as after the start of the Gaza war following Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.

Election Deadline Limits Reversal

Israel had previously delayed plans for E1 under external pressure, but the current government approved construction about a year ago. It did so, according to Israeli officials at the time, to “erase” the idea of a Palestinian state.

The tender deadline is 19 October, with Israel’s general election scheduled for 27 October. The timing would give the government a short window to sign contracts with contractors, potentially making it harder for a future administration to cancel work.

A year ago, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ultranationalist and settler, said the concept of a Palestinian state was “being erased”.

Court Challenge And Settlement Strategy

Bedouin Palestinians living in the area and Israeli peace groups have challenged the E1 plan in court. Despite that legal opposition, the housing ministry has proceeded with the tender process covering a portion of the approved units.

Peace Now, an Israeli anti-settlement watchdog that has sought to overturn the plans through legal action, said the government was attempting to lock in contracts before the election. It warned that even partial implementation would “fundamentally” change the area’s geographic and strategic character by severing the northern West Bank from the south and isolating East Jerusalem.

Peace Now also said building in E1 would “ruin” prospects for ending the conflict through a two-state arrangement.

Reactions From Palestinians And The UN

Jamal Juma, a Palestinian activist with the Stop the Wall campaign who lives in Jerusalem, said the project would have a major impact on Palestinian communities. He said it would destroy communities and families, and added that more than 40 Bedouin communities would be affected and would need to be evicted.

A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply alarmed” by the new tenders and called on Israel to refrain from taking further steps in that regard.

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20 August 2026