Israel’s Planning and Building Committee on 20 August gave final approval for the long-delayed E1 settlement project east of Jerusalem, authorising construction of more than 3,400 housing units after dismissing the last legal objections earlier this month. The plan would expand the Ma’ale Adumim settlement and create a contiguous built-up corridor to Jerusalem. Urban planners and human-rights organisations say the development would sever the northern and southern portions of the occupied West Bank, undermining the viability of any future Palestinian state. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who holds additional authority over settlement affairs in the Defence Ministry, called the decision “historic,” saying it “buries the idea of a Palestinian state.” Government documents indicate infrastructure work could begin within months, with home construction starting in about a year. Palestinian officials, the United Nations and advocacy group Peace Now condemned the move as a breach of international law and a serious blow to the two-state framework. The E1 blueprint had been frozen for decades under U.S. pressure until the committee’s 6 August rejection of remaining petitions cleared the way for implementation. More than 700,000 Israelis already reside in settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The far-right coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Smotrich has pledged to double that figure, setting the stage for heightened diplomatic friction as several Western governments weigh formal recognition of Palestinian statehood.