Israel approves 3,401 settler homes in contentious E1 area

Israel’s far-right finance minister approved 3,401 settler homes in the E1 area of the West Bank, a step critics say kills hopes for a Palestinian state. Meanwhile, the army chief pledged proactive military action across multiple fronts.

Jerusalem: Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that he has approved the construction of 3,401 housing units for settlers in a particularly controversial area of the occupied West Bank.

The homes would be built in the E1 area, a stretch of land east of Jerusalem between the city and the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim. Construction there is seen as especially contentious because it would effectively cut off East Jerusalem from the northern West Bank. Building plans in E1 have been frozen for years, largely due to international opposition.

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Smotrich, leader of a pro-settler party in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, said the move was also aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state, Xinhua News Agency reported.

“Approval of construction plans in E1 buries the idea of a Palestinian state and continues the many steps we are taking on the ground as part of the de facto sovereignty plan that we began implementing with the establishment of the government,” he said in a statement.

Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watchdog, said in a statement that the Israeli Housing Ministry approved on Wednesday six new tenders for a total of 4,030 housing units in the West Bank. “Netanyahu’s government is using every minute to deepen the annexation of the West Bank and block the possibility of a two-state peace,” the group said.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir toured army outposts in southern Lebanon, saying the armed forces had adopted “a new strategic concept” aimed at preempting emerging threats.

Video released by the military showed Zamir scanning the area through binoculars, speaking with commanders, and inspecting frontline positions.

“We are on the offensive, constantly thwarting threats. We identify and eliminate threats in all arenas,” he said.

Zamir said that earlier on Wednesday, he had approved plans to “conquer Gaza” before travelling north, while the army continued operations in Syria, Yemen, and the occupied West Bank, and monitored developments in Iran.

“We are in a multi-front war, adapting our concepts to the threats. We are active in all arenas — initiating attacks entirely on our own initiative,” he said.

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, brokered in November 2024 after 14 months of fighting, has not stopped Israeli strikes.

Zamir said the military had killed more than 240 militants and carried out about 600 strikes since the truce began.