Kathmandu— The Palestinian Authority (PA) strongly condemned Israel’s decision to issue a tender for more than 1,200 new housing units as part of its controversial E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday. The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CRRC), a PA government body, warned that advancing these plans would confine Palestinians to “disconnected enclaves surrounded by settlements.” Israel’s E1 plan aims to build over 3,400 housing units on approximately 12 square kilometers of Palestinian land, potentially severing East Jerusalem from the West Bank and bisecting the territory.

E1 Project Details

Israel approved the E1 plan last year, intending to link settlements in occupied East Jerusalem – which Israel has illegally annexed – with the Maale Adumim settlement bloc in the West Bank. The tender covers 1,234 housing units and represents one of two construction plans for the area, according to Israeli rights organization Ir Amim and Peace Now. Even partial implementation of the project would drastically alter the region's geography, isolating East Jerusalem and severing the northern and southern parts of the West Bank.

Palestinian Concerns

The CRRC stated that the tender represents a broader geopolitical effort to reshape the area between Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley. Al Jazeera correspondent Nida Ibrahim reported from Hizma in the West Bank, stating that if realized, the E1 project would be “the last nail in the coffin” of the two-state solution. She added that the “ultimate goal for the Israelis is to get Palestinians to leave.” Peace Now accused the government of attempting to finalize annexation plans and limit future governments’ options.

Political Timing

Bids for the project are due on October 19, just days before Israel's general elections on October 27. Analysts suggest this timing is deliberate, as Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government currently face declining support in polls. Peace Now specifically criticized the “Netanyahu-Smotrich government,” referencing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a West Bank settler, for pushing forward with the project despite previous commitments.

The tender process remains open until October 19, and the future of the E1 settlement plan will likely be influenced by the outcome of Israel’s upcoming elections. The project continues to raise concerns about its impact on Palestinian communities and the viability of a two-state solution.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.