Israeli politician Smotrich unveils plan to establish more settlements, aiming to effectively put an end to the prospect of a Palestinian state

Israel's recent approval of plans to build over 3,400 housing units in the E1 area of the West Bank, adjacent to East Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim, has sparked significant international condemnation. The E1 development is widely regarded as highly controversial because it aims to create a continuous Israeli settlement bloc that would effectively link Ma'ale Adumim to Jerusalem, thereby cutting off East Jerusalem's expansion and nearly bisecting the West Bank.

The international community, including the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. The UN has strongly condemned the Higher Planning Committee's recent approval, describing it as a violation of international law and United Nations resolutions. The UN warns that proceeding with the E1 settlement project poses an existential threat to the two-state solution by jeopardizing the territorial contiguity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The Secretary-General has called on Israel to immediately halt all settlement activities and comply with its legal obligations as outlined by UN resolutions and the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion issued in July 2024. The UN urged Israel to reverse its decision to start work on the settlement, stating that it would put an end to prospects of a two-state solution and go against international law.

Approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The scheme received criticism from the Palestinian government, allies, and campaign groups, who called it illegal and a threat to peace plans in the region.

Israel cites historical and biblical ties to the area and claims that the settlements provide strategic depth and security. Consecutive Israeli governments have initiated, approved, planned, and funded settlements in the West Bank. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the revival of the E1 development, a long-delayed settlement in Maale Adumim, West Bank.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump were mentioned as having agreed to the revival of the E1 development, but there was no immediate confirmation from either. The E1 settlement plans are opposed by the UK, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, and other world powers.

Some settlers in the West Bank are motivated by religious or ideological reasons, while others are attracted by lower housing costs and government incentives. The EU has called on Israel to halt settlement construction, citing the E1 plan as a breach of international law. The two-state plan envisages a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, existing side by side with Israel.

The planned settlement aims to divide the West Bank from East Jerusalem. Israel had previously frozen construction plans at Maale Adumim in 2012 and again in 2020 due to objections from various parties. Smotrich stated that the construction will result in facts of houses and neighborhoods, implying physical development of the settlement. Restarting the project could further isolate Israel, as some Western allies may recognize a Palestinian state in response to Israel's military offensive in Gaza.

The planned settlement building in the West Bank is feared by Palestinians, as it could rob them of any chance to build a state of their own in the area. Peace Now predicts that infrastructure work for the E1 settlement could begin within a few months, with house building starting in about a year.