Israel has issued a final tender for construction in the E1 area near Jerusalem, advancing a settlement project that critics say would separate the northern and southern parts of the West Bank.
The government tender, posted on Israel’s Land Authority website, seeks bids to build 3,401 housing units in the area east of Jerusalem. The anti-settlement group Peace Now, which monitors expansion activity, said initial construction could begin within weeks.
The E1 proposal has been under discussion for more than 20 years but was previously suspended under U.S. pressure. The project is viewed as especially contentious because it would expand settlements from Jerusalem into the occupied West Bank in a way that opponents argue would hinder the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state.
Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law and a barrier to peace negotiations.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees settlement policy and supports the plan, said at the time of final approval in August: “The Palestinian state is being erased from the table not with slogans but with actions.”
Peace Now said the publication of the tender signals an acceleration of construction efforts in E1.
In a separate development, Syrian and Israeli officials met Tuesday in Paris for U.S.-mediated talks aimed at easing tensions. A joint statement said discussions focused on Syria’s sovereignty, Israel’s security, and long-term stability, and announced plans to establish a U.S.-supervised communication cell for intelligence coordination and conflict mitigation.
The meeting comes months after insurgents in December 2024 ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad, placing interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in power. Al-Sharaa has stated he does not seek conflict with Israel, but Israel remains cautious of the new leadership, having secured a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone established under a 1974 agreement. Israel has also conducted airstrikes on Syrian military targets and made incursions into nearby areas.
Syrian officials have called for a withdrawal of Israeli forces and a return to the 1974 arrangement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office emphasized the importance of securing its borders and safeguarding Druze communities in both countries.
Meanwhile, the United Nations said Tuesday that aid deliveries to Gaza reached sufficient levels in January to meet the full minimum caloric needs of the population for the first time since the conflict began more than two years ago. The increased access followed a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that took effect on Oct. 10.
However, aid delivery remains limited by Israel’s recent move to revoke the licenses of over 36 organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and Oxfam.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s chief diplomat, urged Israel to lift restrictions to enable more consistent humanitarian operations. “To deliver aid rapidly, safely and at the scale required, international NGOs must be able to operate in a sustained and predictable way,” she said.
In the West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent said 11 people were injured during an Israeli military raid Tuesday at Birzeit University. University President Talal Shahwan said Israeli vehicles entered the campus, calling the action part of a pattern of military activity at the school. Video verified by The Associated Press showed Israeli forces on campus.
Israeli officials said troops entered to preempt a planned gathering and came under attack from rocks thrown by people on rooftops. They said forces used targeted fire at individuals they deemed violent.
Separately, international media organizations criticized Israel on Tuesday for continuing to block foreign journalists from entering Gaza, despite a ceasefire in place since October. The Foreign Press Association, which represents major outlets including The Associated Press, has asked Israel’s Supreme Court to lift the ban. The Israeli government told the court this week it remains opposed, citing security concerns.
The association said it was “profoundly disappointed” by the decision and urged the court to reverse it.
