Seven nations condemn Israel’s E1 settlement tenders over West Bank contiguity concerns
The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and Norway have issued a joint statement warning of legal and reputational consequences for participants in the controversial E1 project, which threatens to bisect the occupied West Bank.
A coalition of seven nations has issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s decision to open construction tenders for the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and Norway described the plan for more than 1,200 housing units as “unacceptable,” arguing that it violates the territorial contiguity of the Palestinian Territories.
The statement urged Israel to “retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank.” The signatories warned that failure to do so would carry “legal and reputational consequences” for those participating in the project. They further noted that the expansion would take the region further from peace and undermine Israel’s international standing.
The E1 project is slated to include at least 3,400 units on roughly 12 square kilometres of Palestinian land. The development is designed to connect occupied East Jerusalem to the Maale Adumim settlement area. Critics argue the settlement would bisect the West Bank from north to south, effectively cutting off the West Bank’s link to East Jerusalem, which Palestinians have long cited as the preferred capital of their future state.
Condemnation of the tenders has extended beyond the seven-nation group. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry expressed “complete rejection” of attempts to entrench the status quo through illegal settlement expansion, calling on the international community to take serious steps to stop the violations. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that the plans “gravely undermine the prospect of a contiguous Palestinian homeland,” adding that Israel has abandoned “even the pretence of seeking peace or respecting the will of the international community.”
The United Nations has also weighed in, with spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stating that the Secretary-General was “deeply alarmed” by reports of new illegal Israeli settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank. While Israeli settlements are considered illegal under international law, their development has accelerated since the start of the Israeli government’s war on Gaza in October 2023.
Israel gave final approvals to the E1 plan in August 2025, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich hailing the move as “historic.” At least 21 countries condemned the plans at that time. The current push for settlement expansion comes as analysts link the developments to Israel’s upcoming elections in October 2026.
