A joint statement issued on Thursday by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada marked Israel’s latest plan to open tenders for 1,234 settlement homes in the E1 area of East Jerusalem as "unacceptable" and urged the Israeli government to retract the steps immediately.
The commission listed the move as a strategic attempt to split the West Bank, thereby undermining the prospects for a contiguous Palestinian state. The International Court of Justice had repeatedly stated that Israeli settlements in occupied territory are illegal under customary international law.
The tender opens for bids on 19 October, just days before Israel’s general election on 27 October, a timing that the critics argue could lock the project into the forthcoming administration. The UK foreign secretary’s critique drew a sharp "ouright" rebuke from the Israeli foreign minister.
The E1 settlement has been central to protests from Palestinian groups who say the project will drive a wedge between the north and south of the West Bank, isolating East Jerusalem from the rest of Palestinian territory. Many international officials have warned that expansion in this area not only flouts Israeli‑Palestinian negotiations but also escalates violence on the ground.
For weeks leading up to the tender, Israeli court challenges from Bedouin residents and peace NGOs were rejected by the Israeli housing ministry. The announcement of the tender coincides with a sharp uptick in settlement construction since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right‑wing coalition took office late last year, following the Gaza war that began on 7 October.
