Israel Greenlights Controversial West Bank E1 Settlement, Undermining Palestinian State Prospects

On Wednesday, Israeli authorities granted final approval to a settlement initiative located in the occupied West Bank, a move widely seen as a significant setback for Palestinian territorial continuity and aspirations for an independent state.

Known as the E1 plan, this project had been on hold for over twenty years, largely due to international pressure, particularly from the United States. However, the current U.S. administration has adopted a notably less critical stance on settlements compared to previous governments and much of the global community, which generally views these settlements as illegal and impediments to peace.

Approximately 500,000 Israeli settlers reside in the West Bank alongside roughly three million Palestinians, with Israeli military forces maintaining overarching control. The region experiences frequent Israeli military raids in Palestinian urban areas and restrictions on Palestinian movement. While Israeli settlers in these territories participate in Israeli national elections, their Palestinian neighbors remain disenfranchised.

The plan calls for the construction of around 3,400 new housing units within the E1 area — a highly sensitive zone situated just east of Jerusalem, a city claimed as a capital by both Israelis and Palestinians.

The feasibility of a viable Palestinian state has long been uncertain, further eroded by the continual expansion of Israeli settlements, roads, and barriers, with no clearly defined borders.

Human rights organizations and European governments warn that establishing settlements in the E1 corridor would further divide the central West Bank, diminishing the chances of a contiguous Palestinian state. They also highlight concerns that such development would encircle predominantly Palestinian neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, restricting their growth into the West Bank territory.