Israeli authorities have opened bidding for 2,167 housing units in the E1 settlement project located in the occupied West Bank. Rights groups announced the development on Monday, pointing to a strict deadline for submissions.
According to organizations including Ir Amim, Bimkom, and Peace Now, bids will be accepted until 28 December. The groups stated that the timeline shows the administration led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to advance construction while still in power.
The monitoring organizations reported that homes were demolished on 3 November inside a Palestinian Bedouin community situated directly within the project area. Additional demolition orders were issued that same day, and preparations for construction had already begun ahead of the bidding process.
A separate tender for another 1,234 settlement homes in the same E1 area closed shortly before the election held on 27 October. A review of those specific bids was previously postponed until 19 November following instructions from the attorney general, who sought to prevent the process from being used in election campaigning.
The rights organizations confirmed they submitted a formal request to the attorney general on Monday. They asked for the upcoming review of those bids to be delayed until a new government formally assumes office.
The groups warned that halting construction becomes much more difficult once bids are reviewed and contracts are officially signed. The E1 project is designed in a way that would cut occupied East Jerusalem off from Palestinian communities lying to its east.
The initiative would also disrupt territorial links between the northern and southern parts of the West Bank. The settlement plans have faced widespread international opposition over the years.
Various governments have repeatedly warned that the E1 development severely jeopardises prospects for establishing a viable Palestinian state. The bidding process remains active as monitoring organizations press for further legal delays.
