Israel Opens Bids for E1 Settlement, a Project Both Sides Say Ends Palestinian State Prospects

Israel's Housing Ministry opened tenders on August 18, 2026, for 1,234 housing units in the E1 zone east of Jerusalem. E1 would link Ma'ale Adumim settlement to East Jerusalem, severing the West Bank in two. Both supporters and critics agree construction would end the possibility of a Palestinian state. The UN, eight Muslim-majority nations, and fifteen European and North American leaders condemned the move.