Israel is set to launch a huge illegal settlement project in the West Bank's E1 area, with plans to build 3,401 homes. The Israel Land Authority posted a tender in mid-December inviting bids, with submissions due by mid-March. This fast move aims to block a future Palestinian state by cutting the West Bank into two. Yonatan Mizrachi from Peace Now said, "This timeline suggests bulldozers could start work in less than a year." The British government called the plan "a flagrant breach of international law." Critics warn the project will turn the occupied land into an apartheid-like regime. The idea dates back to the 1990s and has broad Israeli political backing. Last year, Israel approved formal plans, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich saying the settlement would "bury" Palestinian statehood. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, "We said there will be no Palestinian state, and indeed there will be no Palestinian state! This place is ours." More than 20 countries, including France, Canada, Italy, and Australia, condemned the construction as illegal and a threat to peace. Despite this, Israel continues swiftly, signing infrastructure funding agreements and speeding tender processes. Peace Now expert Hagit Ofran warned, "They are doing whatever they can now to create as much irreversible change as possible throughout the West Bank, as fast as possible." This is part of a larger settlement expansion. In December, Israel approved 19 new settlements, increasing total West Bank settlements from 141 in 2022 to a projected 210. Israeli military bases are being set up in evacuated areas in preparation. The situation coincides with a surge in deadly violence against Palestinians amid Israel's Gaza war. Hundreds have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023, including many children, and tens of thousands have been displaced. The UN's International Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that Israel's occupation breaches international law and ordered Israel to end the occupation and make reparations. However, mainstream Israeli politics show little opposition to settlement growth, and violence continues with widespread impunity.