Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement & Annexation Report. To subscribe to this report, please click here.
August 14, 2025
- Israel to Approve E-1 Settlement Next Week
- Israel Published Tenders for Huge Expansion of Ma’ale Adumim Settlement
- Israel Publishes Tenders for Construction of a New Settlement, Ariel West
- Plan for Yeshiva in Sheikh Jarrah Advances Again As Israel Seeks New Ways to Expel Palestinian Residents
- Plan for Yeshiva in Sheikh Jarrah Advances Again As Israel Seeks New Ways to Expel Palestinian Residents
- Another West Bank Communities Have Been Expelled By Settler Terrorism
- Bonus Reads
Israel to Approve E-1 Settlement Next Week
On August 13th, the High Planning Council published its decision to reject all objections to the plan for the E-1 settlement, clearing the way for the Israeli government to grant final approval to the highly controversial plan at a meeting scheduled in less than one week, on August 20th. Peace Now warns that if the planning process continues to move as quickly as it has over the past weeks, construction on E-1 could conceivably begin within a few months.
Bezalel Smotrich, in what has been described as a “victory lap,” held a press conference at the site of the future E-1 settlement where he claimed that U.S. President Trump has approved the plan, though the White House declined to confirm. At the event, which was held prior to formal confirmation of approval, Smotrich said:
“The approval of construction in the E1 area undermines the idea of a Palestinian state and is part of the broader steps we are taking as part of our de facto sovereignty plan, which began with the formation of this government. After decades of international pressure and freezing of projects, we are defying conventions and cementing the connection between Ma’aleh Adumim and Jerusalem.”
The governments of Jordan and Qatar issued a statement condemning Smotrich’s announcement and the plan for the E-1 settlement. The statements come in addition to previous day condemnations of Netanyahu’s public profession that he has a deep “connection” to the vision of Greater Israel as described in the Bible.
Peace Now said in a statement:
“The E1 plan is deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution. We are standing at the edge of an abyss, and the government is driving us forward at full speed. There is a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to the terrible war in Gaza — the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel — and it will ultimately come. The government’s annexation moves are taking us further away from this solution and guaranteeing many more years of bloodshed.”
Israel Published Tenders for Huge Expansion of Ma’ale Adumim Settlement
On August 12th, the Israeli Land Authority published tenders for the construction of 3,300 new settlement units that would connect the Ma’ale Aduminm settlement to the Mishor Adumim industrial zone to its east. Increasing the size of the settlement by 33%. The construction will be on land immediately south of the future E-1 settlement, compounding Israel’s total control of the highly sensitive area. Peace Now further notes that Ma’ale Adumim does not appear to need new construction, as the population growth has been stagnant for a decade.
Israel Publishes Tenders for Construction of a New Settlement, Ariel West
On August 12th, the Israeli Ministry of Housing published tenders for 730 units to build a new “neighborhood” of the Ariel settlement (called the “Amririm Neighborhood”). In reality, the new units will be built on a hilltop located 1.2 miles away from Ariel in an area that is non-contiguous with the built up area of the current Ariel settlement – meaning that a new settlement has been approved for construction. The new tenders join a previously issued batch of tenders issued in 2021 for 731 units, though the tenders have not yet been opened for bidding. Regardless, infrastructure work on the hilltop was reported to have begun in March 2024.
The hilltop is located on land declared by Israel to be “state land” inside of the jurisdictional boundaries of the Ariel settlement, as authorized by the Israeli government. The jurisdictional boundaries of Ariel include several non-contiguous land areas — due to the fact that the area is dotted with land that even Israel recognizes to be legally owned by Palestinians (leaving Palestinian land in some places nearly completely surrounded by land given to the settlement).
The new settlement will further exacerbate the limitations that the settlements inflict on Palestinian agricultural workers in addition to the future development of the nearby Palestinian town of Salfit, as illustrated in this video by Peace Now. Even before the “expansion” plan, Ariel’s jurisdictional area was identified as a direct hindrance on the future development of Salfit.
Plan for Yeshiva in Sheikh Jarrah Advances Again As Israel Seeks New Ways to Expel Palestinian Residents
Ir Amim reports the Jerusalem District Planning Committee has accepted modifications to plans for the construction of the Glassman Yeshiva at the entrance to the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem. The Committee also republished the updated plan, starting a 30-day clock for the public to submit objections to the plan.
The plan calls for the construction of an 11-story building (3 stories below ground) which will include a religious school and dormitories for students and faculty. There are several settler enclaves in Sheikh Jarrah currently, while Palestinians are facing concerted eviction efforts by settlers and the government.
The yeshiva is slated to be built on a patch of land that was expropriated from Palestinian owners for “public needs”; in 2007 the land was transferred by the Israeli government to the Ohr Somayach Institutions, an international organization which is promoting the yeshiva plan. Ir Amim reports that in 2023, the Ohr Somayach Institutions received over 6 million NIS from its U.S. branch and its donors.
At the same time, Ir Amim reports that a settler owned company has applied for a building permit in the Um Haroun section of Sheikh Jarrah, which if granted will result in the expulsion of five members of the Saou family even though they are considered “protected tenants” even under Israeli law. Ir Amim explains why this is novel, and hugely consequential:
“This is the first attempt to evict Palestinians with protected tenancy status under the guise of urban renewal (pinoi binui). In the past, protected tenancy status successfully protected certain families in Sheikh Jarrah from attempted evictions. If settlers successfully evict the Saou family as part of an “urban renewal” project, this can set a dangerous precedent for many other Um Haroun residents. Settler activists are already preparing to request a building permit which will allow them to tear down an additional building in Um Haroun and evict its Palestinian residents. Almost all the other homes in Um Haroun are threatened by an urban renewal plan which is in the preliminary stages of its approval process.”
Israel Advances Plan for New Settlement “Nofey Rachel” in East Jerusalem
Ir Amim reports that the Jerusalem District Committee has submitted for public review a plan for the construction of a new settlement – Nofey Rachel – in East Jerusalem. Once the plan is published, there is a 60 day period for the public to submit objections to the plan.
The new settlement plan calls for 650 settlement units to be built on land on the southern slopes of the Sur Baher neighborhood in East Jerusalem, directly bordering the boundaries of the “Lower Aqueduct” settlement plan. Together, Ir Amim explains:
“these two settlements will isolate Sur Baher-Umm Tuba, fracturing it from the Palestinian space around it, inducing Beit Safafa to its northwest and Beit Sahour and Bethlehem in the West Bank to its south. As such, the new plan will extend the Israeli territorial continuum between Har Homa, the Lower Aqueduct, and Givat Hamatos, which further seals off the southern edge of East Jerusalem from Bethlehem and the southern West Bank.”
For more information regarding the plan see Ir Amim’s previous alert.
Another West Bank Communities Have Been Expelled By Settler Terrorism
The Ein Ayoub bedouin community (19 households, 102 people) has been expelled from their land near Ramallah as a result of unabated settler terrorism which has included arson, violent attacks, poisoned livestock, and drones surveilling their homes. Settlers built a new outpost near the community in the weeks preceding the expulsion.
On August 8th settlers and IDF soldiers entered the communities and threatened residents, telling them to leave within 24hours. The next morning, armed settlers returned to the village, standing guard in an act of intimidation and threat. The IDF arrived in the village on Sunday night and ordered the community to leave the village because of a new military order declaring the area a “closed military zone”. After facing international attention, the IDF later said that the soldiers evicted the community in error due to a “misunderstanding” and that the order was not meant to be applied to the bedouin. The community residents decided to leave the community, citing the fear of lawlessness and violence they face daily. One resident told Haaretz that he asked IDF soldiers if they would protect the community if they decided to say, to which the soldier replied: “I don’t protect Bedouin.”
Ein Ayoub is the third community expelled from the land in the past two monts by the coercive violence of settlers.
Bonus Reads
- “West Bank faces rising wave of settler violence against IDF and police” (Ynet, 8/11/25)
- “With Arson and Land Grabs, Israeli Settler Attacks in West Bank Hit Record High” (New York Times, 8/14/25)
- “Israel builds new settlement road northeast of occupied East Jerusalem” (MEMO, 8/10/25)
- “IDF to remain in Samaria camps through 2025” (JNS, 8/10/25)
- “Bowen: Israeli settlers intensify campaign to drive out West Bank Palestinians” (BBC, 8/10/25)
- ”U.S. to Reportedly Soften Criticism of Israel, Judicial Coup in Annual Human Rights Report ” (Haaretz, 8/10/25)
Welcome to FMEP’s Weekly Settlement Report, covering everything you need to know about Israeli settlement activity this week.
To subscribe to this report, please click here.
January 19, 2024
- Israel to Advance Plan for New Settlement in East Jerusalem, Extending Control of Southern Perimeter
- Settlers Establish Outpost on Privately Owned Land
- Settlers Ask PM to Treat Settlements Like Israel, & Prohibit Palestinian Laborers from Entering
- Bonus Reads
Israel to Advance Plan for New Settlement in East Jerusalem, Extending Control of Southern Perimeter
Ir Amim reports that the government of Israel is promoting plans for a new settlement on the southern slopes of the Sur Baher neighborhood in East Jerusalem. The plan for the new settlement – referred to as “Nofey Rachel” – calls for 650 settlement units built on land that directly borders the boundaries of the recently approved “Lower Aqueduct” settlement plan. Together, Ir Amim explains:
“these two settlements will isolate Sur Baher-Umm Tuba, fracturing it from the Palestinian space around it, inducing Beit Safafa to its northwest and Beit Sahour and Bethlehem in the West Bank to its south. As such, the new plan will extend the Israeli territorial continuum between Har Homa, the Lower Aqueduct, and Givat Hamatos, which further seals off the southern edge of East Jerusalem from Bethlehem and the southern West Bank.”
The plans for the Nofey Rachel settlement is just the latest proof of Israel’s accelerating efforts to secretly officially register land to settlers and settler organizations, land which the state has exercised custodial management of since 1948, at which time the land was abandoned by Jewish refugees. Under Israeli law, the state is obligated to manage these land parcels and properties in the interest of their original (Jewish) owners until the owners and/or their descendants are located and reclaim the land. Palestinian refugees of war are denied this same right. Ir Amim and Bimkom published a recent report – “The Grand Land Theft” – documenting how settlers and the Israeli state have worked together to deliver these lands – via the settlement of land title process – into the hands of settlers, even though the original landowners have never been located.
Ir Amim explains:
“Similar to the cases in Givat Shaked, Nof Zahav, and Umm Lysoon among others, the settlement of land title (SOLT) process is being strategically promoted on the precise bloc of land (#31786) designated for the new settlement in Sur Baher-Umm Tuba. Based on ongoing monitoring, the process was first initiated in the area in January 2022 and is now in its final stage, just prior to completion, which will lead to the registration of ownership rights in the Tabu (land record). As was the process in the aforementioned areas, the timing suggests that the state and setters are utilizing the land registration procedures to finalize land rights in preparation for advancement of new settlements. This further confirms that the process is being exploited to register land in East Jerusalem in the name of Jews and/or the state for the promotion of settlements, while contradicting the government’s claim that it is intended to promote property rights of Palestinians.”
Settlers Establish Outpost on Privately Owned Land
Peace Now reports that over the past year settlers have illegally uprooted hundreds of olive trees belonging to the nearby village of Qusra, located south of Nablus in the heart of the northern West Bank. In the aftermath of October 7th, settlers sought to fortify their control over the land by moving four prefabricated buildings onto the cleared land (a new outpost) and calling on the IDF to prevent Palestinians from reaching the remaining olive groves close to the settlement and its new outpost. Since then, settlers have undertaken illegal construction to expand and build new access and bypass roads near the settlement, and in December 2023 the IDF blocked off the main entrance to Qusra village.
Peace Now also reports that settlers have begun cultivating new land east of the settlement, which is privately owned land belonging to the Jorish village.
Peace Now said in a statement:
“The isolated settlement of Migdalim is deep within Palestinian territory and poses a barrier to any future political agreement. The government does nothing to stop the ideological settlers who allow themselves to confiscate lands and damage Palestinian property, establishing facts on the ground that not only escalates security tensions in the area but also hinder any political solution between Israel and the Palestinians.”
Settlers Ask PM to Treat Settlements Like Israel, & Prohibit Palestinian Laborers from Entering
Fifty settler leaders penned an open letter to the Defense Minister Gallant and Prime Minister Netanyahu demanding that the severe entry restrictions on Palestinians laborers seeking to cross from the West Bank into Israel for work be extended to apply to Palstinians laborers seeking to enter the settlements for work. The call is for settlements to be treated as the legal equivalent of sovereign Israeli territory, making it not only openly racist but a call for de facto annexation.
At a Knesset meeting last week on this topic, MK Tzvi Sukkot said:
“l do not understand why there is still anyone who thinks that the lives of residents of Judea and Samaria are less important. Specifically in Judea and Samaria, workers are still allowed entry despite a report that 82% of them support terror and are themselves potential terrorists.”
In the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack on October 7th, Israel banned all West Bank Palestinian laborers from entering Israel and Israeli settlements. In December 2023, the ban was partially lifted under pressure from factory and business owners located in the settlements. Between 8,000 and 10,000 Palestinians were then allowed to resume work in the settlements under enhanced security measures (conditions which treat every Palestinian as a would-be terrorist if not monitored incessantly). More than 150,000 Palestinian laborers worked in Israel proper prior to October 7th, and have not been allowed in since. This is having a massive impact on the West Bank economy, as well as Israeli economy.
Bonus Reads
- “Israel’s Army Drafted and Armed Thousands of Settlers. Accounts of Their Violence Are Piling Up” (Haaretz)
- “Palestinians struggle to rebuild their lives after West Bank settler pogroms” (+972 Magazine)
- “Israeli Wounded in Shooting Near West Bank Settlement, IDF Kills Three Terrorists” (Haaretz)
- “Editorial | Israel’s Settler Government Is Fueling a West Bank Blowup” (Haaretz)
- “Israel Wants a Palestinian Intifada in the West Bank” (Gideon Levy, Haaretz)
- “’On the Brink of Implosion’: Israeli Army Transfers Elite Unit Out of Gaza to West Bank” (Haaretz)