Israel has issued a tender for the construction of nearly 1,000 new housing units for settlers in the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli Peace Now movement on Monday.
The approval of 974 new settlement units will expand the Efrat settlement by 40%, further complicating the development of the nearby Palestinian city of Bethlehem.
Hagit Ofran, a senior official monitoring settlement expansion at Peace Now, stated that construction could begin after the contracting process and permit approvals, which could take at least a year.
Israel has already constructed more than 100 settlements across the West Bank, ranging from small outposts on hilltops to large suburban communities with residential buildings, shopping centers, and parks.
Currently, over 500,000 Israeli settlers reside in the West Bank, alongside approximately 3 million Palestinians. While Israeli settlers hold Israeli citizenship, Palestinians live under military rule, with the Western-backed Palestinian Authority managing urban centers.
Major human rights organizations have described the situation as apartheid, accusations that Israel’s government rejects. Israeli officials argue that the West Bank is the historical and biblical heartland of the Jewish people and continue to oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The Peace Now movement, which advocates for a negotiated two-state solution, criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government for pushing forward settlement expansion while dozens of Israeli hostages remain in captivity in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack.
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