Israel Announces Tenders for Over 1,000 Settlement Units in and Around East Jerusalem

The Israeli authorities have issued tenders for the construction of 1,080 settlement units in occupied East Jerusalem and its surroundings during October, according to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission. The tenders include 730 units in the Pisgat Ze'ev settlement in northern Jerusalem and 350 units for seniors in the Ma'ale Adumim settlement east of the city.

The first tender, published on October 7, covers 350 housing units for seniors in Ma'ale Adumim, along with commercial and operational spaces. This project was previously tendered this year without receiving bids, and the commission views its re-marketing as a new attempt to sell the same project. The deadline for submitting offers for this tender is December 30.

The second tender, published on October 13, targets the establishment of 730 units in the "Duchifat" complex on the eastern edge of Pisgat Ze'ev. This project is part of a plan encompassing four land plots totaling approximately 27.5 dunams and includes units for sale and long-term rent, as well as commercial and service areas. Offers for this tender are due by December 28.

The commission stated that these projects advance settlement expansion in and around occupied Jerusalem, solidify Israeli control, and restrict Palestinian territorial expansion. This comes after Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced in late June an acceleration of settlement activity in the West Bank, claiming his government had established 160 outposts and approved over 100 new settlements.

These settlement expansions occur despite the United Nations and most of the world considering Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories illegal under international law and a hindrance to a two-state solution. The Israeli organization Peace Now estimates around 500,000 settlers in the West Bank, plus approximately 250,000 in East Jerusalem settlements.