As Western states prepare to recognize the State of Palestine in September, the Israeli government is pursuing plans to further the occupation of the West Bank, rendering any possibility of the formation of a Palestinian state impossible. 

"Israel's" Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has officially advanced the controversial E1 settlement project, a long-stalled construction plan that threatens to permanently alter the geographic and political landscape of the occupied West Bank.

The plan includes over 3,400 settlement units connecting the illegal settlement of "Ma'ale Adumim" to occupied al-Quds, effectively severing the West Bank into two, and blocking any possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state.

E1, or "East 1," is a 12-square-kilometer area between occupied al-Quds and the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim. For years, international opposition kept the project frozen, due to its grave implications for Palestinian statehood and violations of international law. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that all settlement activities in the West Bank and East al-Quds violate the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on the E1 settlement plan, which aims to separate Jerusalem from its Arab surroundings. pic.twitter.com/piujXvfHBa

— Jerusalem Governorate محافظة القدس الشريف (@jerusalemgov) August 14, 2025

Smotrich did not conceal the motive behind the plan, declaring, "This will bury the idea of a Palestinian state," calling it the "final nail in the coffin" of any idea of a Palestinian State. He emphasized that the plan was developed in full coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with support from the US.

Smotrich's announcement to begin the construction of E1 settlements sparked outrage in occupied Palestine and beyond.

Palestinian condemnations

Presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh condemned Smotrich's move, affirming that all settlement activity is illegal under international law. He warned that these plans, combined with the ongoing genocidal campaign, will only fuel further instability. Abu Rudeineh also drew a direct link between this expansionist policy and Netanyahu’s recent statements invoking the idea of "Greater Israel."

Hamas: A colonial plan of ethnic cleansing

Hamas warned that Smotrich’s plan aims to isolate al-Quds from its Palestinian surroundings and block any future Palestinian state. It called the move part of a broader effort to displace Palestinians and annex their lands under a fascist Zionist agenda. Hamas described the plan as a genocidal tool and urged all Palestinian factions to mobilize in resistance.

PFLP: A Talmudic Zionist project to erase Palestine

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) described the E1 project as a declaration of war on Palestinian territory. It asserted that Netanyahu’s government has fully adopted extremist religious Zionism and is driving an agenda of annexation and forced displacement. The group called on the Palestinian leadership to abandon reliance on negotiations and adopt a unified national resistance strategy.

DFLP: Netanyahu exposes the Zionist project’s true face

The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) condemned Netanyahu’s statements and UN speech that omitted the West Bank from the map, interpreting them as confirmation of a plan to complete the occupation and annexation of all Palestinian land. The DFLP credited the Resistance in Gaza for gaining international recognition of Palestine and denounced calls to disarm as surrender to occupation. It also called for strengthening popular resistance to counter the ongoing annexation.

Resistance Committees: Call for uprising

The Resistance Committees in Palestine described Smotrich’s plan as a colonial blueprint designed to bring in a million new settlers, confiscate thousands of dunums, and erase any prospects for Palestinian sovereignty. They called on Palestinians in the West Bank, al-Quds, and 1948 territories to launch a widespread uprising to thwart Zionist ambitions and defend Palestinian land.

Jordan condemns

Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a scathing condemnation of the plan, calling it a blatant attack on Palestinian rights and a severe breach of international law. Spokesperson Sufyan Al-Qudah reaffirmed Jordan's categorical rejection of Israeli control over occupied land, emphasizing the plan’s danger to regional peace and the "Two-State solution."

European Commission condemns

The European Commission also voiced its opposition, declaring that the annexation of parts of the West Bank by "Israel" is illegal under international law. A spokesperson reiterated the EU's firm stance against the displacement and eviction of Palestinians, emphasizing that such measures jeopardize the prospects for peace and a viable "Two-State solution." The Commission urged "Israel" to halt all settlement activity immediately.

International law and the E1 plan

The E1 settlement project continues to draw international condemnation. The International Court of Justice has unequivocally stated that all settlements in occupied territories are illegal. The project is seen by legal experts, diplomats, and rights groups as a decisive blow to the "Two-state solution" and a tool for forced demographic change.

Despite this, "Israel" presses forward, emboldened by US backing and internal political consensus. As the situation escalates, Palestinian Resistance, both institutional and grassroots, remains steadfast in its opposition, framing the E1 project as an existential threat to the Palestinian national cause.