Settlement Plan Would Cut West Bank in Half, Rights Groups Warn
Israel is pushing ahead with a settlement expansion that critics say would split the occupied West Bank in two, as protests grow over the government's handling of the war and upcoming elections.
Israeli rights groups are warning that a controversial settlement expansion plan in the occupied West Bank is moving forward, a project they say would slice the territory in two and sever East Jerusalem from the rest of the Palestinian land [244713].
The plan, known as E1, has been publicly promoted by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Critics say it threatens the viability of any future Palestinian state [244713].
The expansion is advancing as Israel's government faces mounting domestic pressure. On 17 September, dozens of Israelis protested outside the Knesset in West Jerusalem, accusing political leaders of using regional tensions to interfere with the parliamentary election set for 27 October [244659].
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also escalated his public rhetoric, pledging to topple Iran's government and eliminate Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza. He set the two goals in a public statement but did not say how or when Israel would carry them out [243255].
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