Seven nations urge Israel to withdraw E1 settlement tenders

Seven Western governments on Thursday jointly condemned Israel's decision to open construction tenders for 1,234 housing units in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, calling the move "unacceptable" and warning it would "drive a wedge through the West Bank" and undermine prospects for a two-state solution.shafaq+1

Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom signed the statement, urging Israel "to retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank." The governments also cautioned businesses against bidding for the contracts, citing potential "legal and reputational consequences" from involvement in breaches of international law.local10+2

Britain Summons Israeli Diplomat

The United Kingdom went furthest in its response. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband summoned Israel's chargé d'affaires, Christian Cantor, and demanded that Israel "halt E1 plans immediately, retract the tender and stop all settlement expansion." Miliband called the project "unacceptable and destructive," warning it "would cut across the heart of Palestine" and pledging "a comprehensive set of measures" in coming weeks, including targeted sanctions against those involved in illegal settlement expansion.ynetnews+1

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar rejected the criticism, writing on X that "the Jewish people have the right to live throughout the Land of Israel" and accusing the UK of "blaming only Israel while ignoring Palestinian extremism."euronews

Strategic Stakes of E1

The roughly 12-square-kilometer E1 area lies between occupied East Jerusalem and the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim. Israel's housing ministry published the tender on August 18, opening bidding for seven residential compounds as part of a broader plan for approximately 3,400 homes approved in August 2025. The submission deadline is October 19, one week before Israeli elections scheduled for October 27.bbc+3

Critics argue construction in E1 would sever the northern West Bank from the south and isolate East Jerusalem from surrounding Palestinian communities, making a contiguous Palestinian state geographically impossible. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who championed the plan, said when it was approved that it "practically erases the two-state delusion."english.ahram+1

Wider Backlash

UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the project as posing an "existential threat" to a contiguous Palestinian state. Egypt and Jordan separately condemned the tenders, with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy calling for UN Security Council action under Resolution 2334. Peace Now, an Israeli anti-settlement watchdog, accused the government of advancing "the vision of annexation" ahead of elections.muslimnetwork+3

Plans for E1 had remained stalled for decades under international pressure. A European diplomat told Israel's Ynet that European governments are now discussing whether to take measures against Israel before the October vote, calling the tender a breach of explicit promises Israel made to allies on the continent.ynetnews