Ramallah, January 7, 2025 (WAFA) – Minister Mu’ayyad Sha’ban, head of the Commission against the Wall and Settlements, said that the Israeli occupation authorities, represented by the so-called “Israeli Land Authority,” have issued a large tender for the construction of 3,401 settlement units in the area called ( E1 ) east of occupied Jerusalem.
In a statement issued by the Authority on Wednesday, he indicated that this step constitutes a very dangerous development in the repercussions of the accelerating aggression against Palestinian lands through colonial settlement plans .
Shaaban confirmed that the occupation authorities have moved from the planning and approval stage to the implementation stage with regard to this plan, which is one of the most dangerous colonial plans that has been formally frozen for three decades .
He explained that this tender comes as a continuation of the E1 plan , which was approved in August 2025 after a delay of about 30 years due to international pressure, noting that starting to issue tenders practically means separating Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings completely, and linking the Ma’ale Adumim settlement to the city, within the framework of the “Greater Jerusalem” project, which undermines any realistic possibility of establishing a geographically connected Palestinian state .
Shaaban added that the year 2025 witnessed an unprecedented escalation in the pace of colonial tenders, as the occupation authorities offered a total of 10,098 new colonial units, the largest share of which was for the benefit of the Ma’ale Adumim settlement with more than 7,000 colonial units, in addition to 900 units for the benefit of the Efrat settlement on the lands of the Bethlehem Governorate, and 700 units in the Ariel settlement on the lands of the Salfit Governorate, and other tenders that reflect an organized trend to deepen colonial control over the Palestinian land .
He pointed out that the issuance of these tenders cannot be separated from the general political context of the occupation government, which is moving forward in imposing permanent colonial realities through the tools of planning, construction and legislation, and transforming colonial settlement from a creeping policy into an actual declared annexation project, which is being implemented under a legal and administrative cover .
Shaaban warned that what is happening in the E1 area represents a dangerous turning point in the Israeli colonial landscape, calling on the international community to move beyond verbal statements of concern and take practical steps to stop the actions of the occupying state, which constitute a flagrant violation of international law and international legitimacy resolutions, and directly undermine the chances of peace and stability in the region .
He concluded by emphasizing that the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission will continue to follow up on this issue at all national and international levels, and will work to expose its political and geographical repercussions, as it is one of the most dangerous aspects of the Israeli colonial project in Jerusalem and its surroundings .
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E.R.
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