Israel advances E1 project after conflict, resumes settlement expansion over 40% of West Bank

After periods of conflict or security escalations, Israeli governments have often accelerated settlement activity in the West Bank, which is already over 40% under Israeli control through settlements, military zones, and associated infrastructure. These moves are typically justified as necessary for security, population growth, or administrative planning. However, Palestinians, human rights groups, and much of the international community argue that wars and crises are frequently used as political cover to expand settlements while global attention is elsewhere . Settlement construction usually does not occur inside active war zones, but strategically important areas like E1 (east of Jerusalem) are often developed once political or military advantages are secured.

Israel has now cleared the last administrative step before beginning construction on the highly controversial E1 settlement project, issuing a government tender for 3,401 new housing units . If implemented, the project would allow Israeli settlers to occupy the area and further restrict Palestinian movement and territorial contiguity, effectively splitting the West Bank in two.

The E1 area covers roughly 12 square kilometres between Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim. While this represents a small fraction of the West Bank, its strategic location is significant. E1’s construction would connect Jerusalem to Ma’ale Adumim, further consolidating Israeli control and disrupting the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state.

Plans to develop E1 date back to the 1990s but were repeatedly frozen due to international pressure. Israel revived the project in August 2025, and final approval was granted by the Higher Planning Council . Peace Now , the anti-settlement monitoring group, first reported the tender, and Yoni Mizrahi, who heads the group’s settlement watch division, said construction could begin within the month .

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich , a key supporter of settlements, has long championed E1, describing it as essential for linking Jerusalem with surrounding settlements. Critics warn the plan would fragment the West Bank, entrench Israeli control, and make a contiguous Palestinian state nearly impossible. Peace Now described the move as creating “facts on the ground” that limit Palestinian sovereignty.

The project has drawn sharp international condemnation. In August 2025, the European Union and more than 20 countries called E1 a violation of international law, warning it undermines prospects for peace. Palestinian officials similarly denounced the tender, stating construction would sever East Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings.

The E1 project’s advancement comes amid a surge in settlement activity across the West Bank, with over 10,000 new settlement units tendered in 2025 alone. Critics argue this pattern demonstrates how settlement expansion often follows periods of conflict or political advantage, consolidating Israeli control over strategic areas while weakening Palestinian claims.