Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the start of construction of a settlement that will divide the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem. This will block the creation of a Palestinian state. This was reported by the agency Reuters, according to UNN.
Details
According to the head of the Ministry of Finance, construction will begin on Wednesday, August 20.
On Thursday, August 14, during a visit to the site of the future settlement in the city of Ma'ale Adumim, Smotrich stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had approved the resumption of the E1 development project. However, neither leader has made any official statements on the matter.
Everyone in the world who is now trying to recognize a Palestinian state will receive our response on the ground. Not with documents, not with decisions or statements, but with facts. Facts of houses, facts of neighborhoods
In a statement titled "Burying the Idea of a Palestinian State," the minister's spokesman announced that the head of the Ministry of Finance had approved a plan to build 3,401 homes for Israeli settlers between the existing West Bank settlement and the city of Jerusalem.
In response to his statement, a US State Department spokesman said that "a stable West Bank ensures Israel's security and aligns with this administration's goal of achieving peace in the region."
He also added that Washington is currently focused primarily on ending the war in the Gaza Strip.
The organization Peace Now, which monitors settler activity in the West Bank, reported that several stages remain before construction can begin. However, infrastructure work could start in a few months, and house construction in about a year.
The E1 plan is deadly for Israel's future and any chance of a peaceful two-state solution. We are on the brink of an abyss, and the government is driving us forward at full speed
According to the human rights organization Yesh Din, Israeli governments have consistently initiated, approved, planned, and financed the construction of settlements.
Some settlers moved to the West Bank for religious or ideological reasons, others due to lower housing prices and government incentives. Among them are also citizens of the US and European countries with dual citizenship.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian government, its allies, and human rights organizations have condemned Israel's plan. They called it illegal and emphasized that the fragmentation of the territory would destroy peace initiatives in the region.
Palestinian President's spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh called on the US to pressure Israel to stop settlement construction.
The UN called on Israel to cancel the decision regarding this project.
This will put an end to the prospects of a two-state solution. Settlements contradict international law… and further entrench the occupation
Breaking the Silence, a human rights organization founded by former Israeli soldiers, stated that this "land grab" would not only accelerate the division of Palestinian territories but also "further entrench apartheid."
European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper noted that the community rejects any territorial changes that are not part of a political agreement between the parties. "Annexation of territory is illegal under international law," she stated.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated that the plan must be stopped.
The UK strongly opposes the Israeli government's E1 development plans, which will divide the future Palestinian state in half and constitute a gross violation of international law
Israel froze development plans in Ma'ale Adumim in 2012.
In 2020, construction resumed, but was later suspended again. The reason was objections from the US, European allies, and other states, who considered the project a threat to any future peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Reuters notes that the resumption of the project could further isolate Israel. The country is already facing criticism from some Western allies over its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, and they, in turn, have stated that they may recognize a Palestinian state.
Palestinians fear that the construction of settlements in the West Bank, which intensified after the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 and the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, will deprive them of the chance to create their own state in this territory.
Most world states say that the expansion of settlements has destroyed the viability of a two-state solution by dividing Palestinian territories.
The plan envisions the creation of a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, existing alongside Israel.
Israel cites historical and biblical ties to the region and states that settlements provide strategic depth and security.
Most world leaders consider all settlements illegal under international law. Israel rejects this position, calling the West Bank a "disputed" rather than "occupied" territory.
In June, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand imposed sanctions on Smotrich and another far-right minister who advocates for settlement expansion.
They were accused of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.