Israel has added a tender for 2,167 housing units to its controversial E1 settlement expansion plan near Jerusalem, nearly tripling the project size announced in August. Critics say the development endangers prospects for a geographically contiguous future Palestinian state by cutting across the West Bank territory.
Israel is confronting mounting international criticism after announcing plans to build 1,234 homes in the E1 settlement area east of Jerusalem, which critics say would sever Palestinian territorial contiguity. The diplomatic strain intensifies as settler attacks in Palestinian-controlled West Bank areas have nearly doubled since 2025, while the Israeli military opens criminal investigations into the killings of Palestinian civilians and paramedics in Gaza.
Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz revealed years of covert cooperation with Somaliland during a visit by the breakaway region's president, while both sides denied reports of plans for an Israeli military base. Somaliland's Defense Minister confirmed Israel is providing police and military training.
