Israel Unleashes Vast Expansion Plan for Illegal Settlement in West Bank, Dooming Two-State Solution.
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the international community, Israel is moving to construct 3,401 new homes in the E1 area of the West Bank, effectively carving off the north and south of the occupied territory from Palestinians. The plan, which was quietly posted by the Israel Land Authority last month, has been described as a brazen attempt to "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state.
Critics say that this development marks an accelerated effort by the Israeli government to advance construction in E1, with bulldozers potentially rolling out in less than a year's time. Yonatan Mizrachi, co-director of Settlement Watch with Peace Now, notes that "this timeline suggests bulldozers could start work in less than a year."
The plan has been years in the making and has gained significant traction under Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership. The expansion is seen as a critical blow to efforts to achieve a two-state solution, as it would create an irreversible situation on the ground that would likely lead to a one-state reality, akin to apartheid.
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's far-right finance minister and a settler himself, has said that this plan will "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state. His words echo those of Netanyahu, who described the expansion as "ours" in a recent ceremony attended by Smotrich.
The move has been met with widespread condemnation from over 20 countries, including Israeli allies France, Canada, Italy, and Australia, which have accused Israel of violating international law. The British government has also imposed sanctions on Smotrich for his repeated incitement to violence against Palestinian communities.
Experts warn that this expansion is part of a broader strategy by the Israeli government to create as much irreversible change as possible in the West Bank. Hagit Ofran, a settlement expert at Peace Now, notes that if there is similar speed in other stages of approval and securing contracts, builders could be bringing in bulldozers before national elections due to be held by October.
The situation on the ground remains dire, with hundreds of Palestinians having been killed in the West Bank since October 2023, including at least one in five children. Tens of thousands have also been forced to flee their homes. The UN's International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories violates international law and ordered it to end the occupation "as rapidly as possible" and make full reparations for its "internationally wrongful acts."
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the international community, Israel is moving to construct 3,401 new homes in the E1 area of the West Bank, effectively carving off the north and south of the occupied territory from Palestinians. The plan, which was quietly posted by the Israel Land Authority last month, has been described as a brazen attempt to "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state.
Critics say that this development marks an accelerated effort by the Israeli government to advance construction in E1, with bulldozers potentially rolling out in less than a year's time. Yonatan Mizrachi, co-director of Settlement Watch with Peace Now, notes that "this timeline suggests bulldozers could start work in less than a year."
The plan has been years in the making and has gained significant traction under Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership. The expansion is seen as a critical blow to efforts to achieve a two-state solution, as it would create an irreversible situation on the ground that would likely lead to a one-state reality, akin to apartheid.
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's far-right finance minister and a settler himself, has said that this plan will "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state. His words echo those of Netanyahu, who described the expansion as "ours" in a recent ceremony attended by Smotrich.
The move has been met with widespread condemnation from over 20 countries, including Israeli allies France, Canada, Italy, and Australia, which have accused Israel of violating international law. The British government has also imposed sanctions on Smotrich for his repeated incitement to violence against Palestinian communities.
Experts warn that this expansion is part of a broader strategy by the Israeli government to create as much irreversible change as possible in the West Bank. Hagit Ofran, a settlement expert at Peace Now, notes that if there is similar speed in other stages of approval and securing contracts, builders could be bringing in bulldozers before national elections due to be held by October.
The situation on the ground remains dire, with hundreds of Palestinians having been killed in the West Bank since October 2023, including at least one in five children. Tens of thousands have also been forced to flee their homes. The UN's International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories violates international law and ordered it to end the occupation "as rapidly as possible" and make full reparations for its "internationally wrongful acts."
just thinking about this is giving me anxiety! like, what can be done? israel has to stop this expansion plan ASAP or it's gonna be super hard for palestinians to get an independent state 
. and canada, australia, france... all these countries are speaking out against israel, but is that really enough? do we need more international pressure? 
i just wish someone could put a stop to this bulldozing of dreams 
this can't be happening in 2025... 
and create a situation where there's only one state, which is basically apartheid 
...
i think israel got a right to expand their territory its been occupied for like forever and they should have control over it too. maybe the palestinians should just get their own country but its not gonna happen anytime soon lol. theres always gonna be conflict in the middle east, we cant even solve our own problems here in america. whats a few settlements compared to the countless wars israel's been involved in?
. But seriously, can't they see how all this is affecting the Palestinians? Hundreds killed since October 2023... that's just heartbreaking 
. And what really gets me is that the international community is just standing by, doing nothing about it 
They're basically trying to carve off the North and South from Palestinians, creating an irreversible situation that would lead to apartheid... 
We can't just sit back and watch as Israel pushes its agenda. I mean, 20+ countries have already condemned it and some have even imposed sanctions... 
Still not enough, though. It feels like there's still too much resistance from the other side.
they say it's 'ours', like who owns the land anyway? 
now it seems like Netanyahu just wants to get rid of the palestinians altogether 
. Bezalel Smotrich sounds like a real charmer 
they're just tryin' to make sure there ain't no palestine left 
it feels like we're just stuck in the loop, watchin' israel keep expandin' and us just reactin' 
– but to me, it just seems like more of the same old tactics from Israel. Like, what are they really hoping to achieve here? Are they seriously expecting anyone to believe that this is some kind of "surprise" move? 
meanwhile, we have countries condemning them left and right, but what's being done about it? it feels like everyone's just talking the talk, but not doing anything concrete to stop these settlers. 
we need to make sure our voices are heard and our leaders know that we won't stand for this kind of treatment of others 
the international community needs to step up and put some pressure on Israel to stop this expansion plan ASAP! 
what really gets me though is that no one seems to be doing anything about it, even countries that are supposed to support the palestinians just kinda sit there and watch. international law is clearly being ignored here and its just not fair on everyone 
. I mean, have you seen those bulldozers rolling around the West Bank? They're just gonna push everything around until someone stops 'em 
. I mean, I've seen his speeches and stuff, and he doesn't seem that extreme 
. Can we just agree to disagree and move on? 
- i mean, 3401 new homes in e1? that's just devastating. the thought of bulldozers rolling in under a year is just heartbreaking. how can they do this to Palestinians who have been living in fear for years already? it's like they're intentionally trying to erase their identity and way of life.