Israel approves E1 West Bank settlement, splits East Jerusalem

Israel on Wednesday gave final approval to a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively bisect the territory and sever the last geographic link between East Jerusalem and the northern and southern West Bank. The plan, known as E1, includes roughly 3,400–3,500 new housing units adjacent to the Maale Adumim settlement, with an additional 342 homes planned for a nearby outpost-turned-settlement called Asael. If implemented, the development would complicate any future Palestinian state by interrupting contiguity between key cities and by tightening Israeli control over land the Palestinians envision for a capital.

The E1 project has hovered for more than two decades, frozen at times under international pressure and shifting U.S. positions. Its final approval, announced by Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, comes as Washington and European capitals debate the prospect of recognizing a Palestinian state at the United Nations, and as Israel’s war in Gaza continues. Infrastructure work could begin in the coming months, with housing construction projected to start within about a year. The plan envisions hundreds of new apartments abutting...