European leaders demand Israel halt controversial E1 settlement project in West Bank

Key Points:

• Seven countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK, Norway, and Canada, condemned Israel's bidding for over 1,200 homes in the West Bank's E1 settlement project, urging an immediate halt to settlement expansion amid rising violence and economic restrictions on Palestinians.
• The E1 plan, approved by Israel in 2023, aims to build around 3,400 homes east of Jerusalem, potentially severing Palestinian territorial continuity and threatening the viability of a two-state solution, a concern echoed by the UN secretary general and European officials.
• UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband directly confronted Israel's charge d'affaires, demanding an end to the project, but Israeli Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar rejected the criticism, asserting Israel's right to settle the land and accusing the UK of ignoring Palestinian extremism.
• The latest tender for housing units, covering about one-third of the E1 development, was published ahead of Israel’s 27 October elections, with critics accusing the government of pushing construction plans to influence the vote.
• The West Bank hosts roughly three million Palestinians and 500,000 Israeli settlers, with recent violence escalating following the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, intensifying tensions in the region.