EU Calls on Israel to Scrap E1 Settlement Tender
The EU has urged Israel to withdraw a tender for over 1,200 housing units in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, citing international law.
The European Union's diplomatic service has called on Israel to withdraw a tender for the construction of more than 1,200 housing units in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank. The appeal was made in a statement issued on Sunday, which described Israeli settlements in the region as illegal under international law.
The proposed development, part of a larger plan for 3,401 housing units in E1, was advanced by Israel earlier this week. The tender, published by the Ministry of Construction and Housing, covers a portion of this broader project.
The E1 area, located east of Jerusalem between the city and the Ma'ale Adumim settlement, is considered particularly sensitive. The EU's statement warned that implementing the plan would divide the West Bank in two, isolate East Jerusalem, and further undermine the viability of a two-state solution.
The statement also noted the current instability in the West Bank and record levels of settler violence. While acknowledging recent charges brought by Israeli prosecutors against some perpetrators, the EU urged the Israeli government to halt all settlement expansion projects and ensure accountability for such violence.
Plans for construction in E1 have been frozen for years, largely due to sustained international opposition.