Israel Opens Tender for Illegal E1 Settlement in West Bank

The Israeli government has opened a new tender for the construction of 1,234 housing units in the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank. This move has been widely condemned by human rights groups and other countries, who argue that the project is a clear violation of international law.

## E1 Settlement Project

The E1 settlement project is a large-scale development that aims to create demographic, territorial, and transportational contiguity between Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and other parts of the West Bank. The project includes housing, roads, and industrial and commercial zones in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, east of Jerusalem.

| **Housing Units** | **Approved** | **Tendered** | | --- | --- | --- | | Total | 3,401 | 1,234 | | Remaining | 2,167 | |

The project has been challenged in court by Israeli organizations PeaceNow, Bimkom, and Ir Amim together with Bedouin Palestinian residents. They argue that the immediate issuance and opening of a separate tender, and the pre-election deadline, is an attempt to create "irreversible facts on the ground, fundamentally altering the character of the area."

## Human Rights Concerns

Human rights groups and other countries have raised serious concerns about the E1 settlement project. They argue that the project would deliberately fragment the occupied West Bank, forcibly displace over 18 Bedouin communities, and further entrench apartheid.

The forced displacement of the Khan al-Ahmar community would also violate the prohibition of forcible transfer under article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Article 49 also prohibits the occupying power from transferring its own civilian population into the territory it occupies. Both could constitute a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and could also be a crime against humanity.

## International Condemnation

The E1 settlement project has been condemned by many countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany. They have warned that businesses should not bid for construction tenders for E1 or other settlement developments, reminding them of legal and reputational consequences, including the risk of involving themselves in serious breaches of international law.

In July 2004, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded that Israeli settlements violate the Fourth Geneva Convention and are unlawful. In 2024, the court reaffirmed this and affirmed the illegality of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory.

## Call to Action

Human rights groups and other countries are calling for the immediate cancellation of the E1 tender process and for concrete measures to end the unlawful situation. They are urging other countries to impose targeted sanctions on those implicated in ongoing grave abuses, suspend arms transfers to Israel, ban trade with illegal settlements, and consider suspending preferential trade agreements with Israel.

They are also urging corporations to comply with the rule of law by imposing sanctions on businesses involved in the construction of the E1 settlement project and those that facilitate human rights abuses in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. They should also strengthen domestic human rights due diligence laws by establishing effective enforcement mechanisms to address corporations' violations.

The E1 settlement project is a clear violation of international law, and it is imperative that the international community takes action to stop it.