Israel Suddenly Opens Bidding for West Bank Settlement That Would Cut Territory in Two

The Israeli government has suddenly opened bidding for construction companies targeting the development of settlements in the E1 area of the West Bank, a Palestinian residential region, according to outlets including the BBC on the 19th local time.

The E1 area is a 12-square-kilometer tract of land sandwiched between East Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim, a large Jewish settlement in the West Bank.

If a Jewish settlement is built there, East Jerusalem will be physically cut off from the northern West Bank, effectively splitting the West Bank in two and isolating East Jerusalem.

Such a move could deal a major blow to the "two-state solution" between Israel and Palestine, which is generally accepted by the international community.

Due to the sensitivity and explosive nature of the issue, Israel had previously delayed construction of settlements in the E1 area, but has been pushing forward with the plan since last year despite international concern and criticism.

The Israeli government approved the construction of 3,401 housing units in the E1 settlement in August of last year and issued a tender for contractors in December. However, facing lawsuits from civic groups and international pressure, it suspended the process three times before abruptly opening bidding for 1,234 units on this day.

The bidding deadline is set for October 19, which falls eight days before the Israeli general election.

The BBC pointed out that "if the current government signs contracts with construction companies (before the general election), it may be difficult for the next government to cancel them."

Peace Now, a civic group that filed a lawsuit opposing the construction of the E1 settlement, criticized the move, stating, "Even if only part of this construction plan is implemented, the West Bank will be divided into north and south, and East Jerusalem will be isolated. It will destroy the possibility of ending the conflict and peace agreements based on the two-state solution."

UN Secretary-General António Guterres also expressed deep concern over the bidding announcement.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.