E1 Settlement Project: Cementing West Bank Annexation in Jerusalem Vicinity

Over the past year, the Israeli government has dramatically accelerated the implementation of Israeli plans in the E1 area in the heart of the West Bank. The measures go far beyond the construction of a new settlement. Together, they constitute a comprehensive strategy to integrate and effectively annex at least 3% of the West Bank into Israel while excluding Palestinians from the area. Upon approval of the E1 settlement plans in August 2025, Minister Smotrich explicitly stated, “…Construction in the E1 area buries the idea of a Palestinian state and is part of the broader steps we are taking as part of our de facto sovereignty plan, which began with the formation of this government.” This was likewise reflected in similar remarks made by Prime Minister Netanyahu at a ceremony marking the plans’ approval in September 2025.

Though the combination of settlement construction, restrictions on Palestinian movement and access, and the displacement of Palestinian communities in this strategic area, Israel is effectively advancing the annexation of E1 without any formal declaration. Such moves will bisect the West Bank, sever it from East Jerusalem, and displace thousands of Palestinians, foreclosing the viability of a two-state framework with two capitals in Jerusalem.

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