Israel: Israel's Ministry of Construction and Housing has issued two tenders to build 356 settlement units in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli anti-settlement group said Wednesday.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Peace Now movement, which monitors settlement activity in the West Bank, reported that the tenders were published for the construction of a new settlement neighborhood in the Geva Binyamin settlement, southeast of Ramallah.
The first tender involves the development of 342 housing units across five residential complexes, while the second tender is for 14 homes designated for reserve soldiers, as stated by the movement. Additionally, Peace Now highlighted that another tender was announced for a residential complex in the Giv'on HaHadasha settlement, situated south of Ramallah, on November 2.
The Peace Now movement further revealed that since the beginning of 2025, tenders for 5,667 housing units in settlements have been issued, marking a record-breaking figure approximately 50% higher than the previous peak year of 2018, which saw tenders for 3,808 units. If these tenders are executed, the new homes could increase the settler population in the West Bank by nearly 25,000 individuals.
Peace Now accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of "exploiting every moment in power to destroy Israel's chances for a future of peace and prosperity," cautioning that settlement expansion "only deepens the pit Israel must eventually climb out of." The movement criticized the Israeli government's actions as contrary to US President Donald Trump's stance, who declared that there would be no annexation of the West Bank.
On October 24, Trump assured reporters by stating that Israel is "not going to do anything with the West Bank." His comments followed the Israeli Knesset's preliminary approval of two bills aimed at annexing the occupied West Bank and the Ma'ale Adumim settlement, a move that could isolate East Jerusalem and divide the West Bank into two separate areas.
The United Nations has consistently affirmed that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law, warning that they undermine prospects for a two-state solution. Palestinians maintain that East Jerusalem should be the capital of their future state, in accordance with international resolutions that do not acknowledge Israel's 1967 occupation or its 1980 annexation of the city.
In a significant opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.