In brief
The Israeli government has released tender documents for a 1,234‑home project in the E1 area east of Jerusalem, a region that could bisect the West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem. This development follows years of international condemnation, as settlements in occupied territories are deemed illegal under international law. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right‑wing coalition has long pursued this plan to eliminate any future Palestinian state. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband condemned the tenders as “unacceptable” and urged the Israeli government to halt the project. The deadline for bids precedes Israel’s upcoming general election, making reversal unlikely.
Israel has opened tenders for the construction of about 1,200 settlement homes in a strategically crucial part of the occupied West Bank. The government says the new project will eliminate any chance of a Palestinian state.
The E1 area – east of Jerusalem – has long faced international condemnation. Settlements there are deemed illegal by international law, and the project would effectively split the West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem.
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described the tender as an “unacceptable and destructive act” and urged Israel to halt the E1 plans, retract the tender and stop all settlement expansion.
Since 1967, Israel has occupied the West Bank and annexed East Jerusalem. Palestinians have sought these lands as part of a future state, but successive Israeli governments have expanded settlements. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s return to power in late 2022 accelerated that growth, especially after the Gaza war sparked by Hamas’s 7 October attack.
The housing ministry issued a tender for 1,234 of the 3,401 approved units, covering about 12 sq km (4.6 sq miles) between East Jerusalem and Maale Adumim. The deadline for bids is 19 October, just days before Israel’s general election on 27 October, making it difficult for a future government to reverse the decision.
In a statement, Miliband warned that Britain would not accept the demolition of the two‑state solution, calling on Israel to halt any further settlement expansion, impose sanctions on violators and support a just, lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians.
Source: BBC News, 19 August 2026.
