Israel Issues Tender for E1 Settlement Housing Units

The Israeli government issued a tender for 1,234 housing units in the E1 corridor of the occupied West Bank on August 18, 2026. This initial phase is part of a larger plan to construct 3,401 units to link the Maale Adumim settlement with East Jerusalem. The project, first proposed in 1994, aims to ensure Jewish territorial contiguity toward the Jordan Valley and prevent the Palestinian Authority from establishing an urban center surrounding Jerusalem.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated the construction "buries the idea of a Palestinian state." The timing of the bid deadline, set for October 19, occurs shortly before Israel's general election on October 27. Watchdog group Peace Now claims this schedule is intended to prevent a future government from overturning the contracts.

Rights groups Ir Amim, Bimkom, and Peace Now accused the State Attorney's Office of breaching a commitment to notify petitioners before issuing tenders. These organizations argue the project will bisect the West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem, creating irreversible facts on the ground.

International reaction has been sharply critical. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband called the move a "flagrant breach of international law" and warned of targeted sanctions. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected the criticism, describing it as "absurd" for Britain to lecture Israel. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also expressed alarm and called on Israel to refrain from further steps.