Israeli settlement activity surges ahead of Knesset elections

Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem is intensifying ahead of the Knesset elections scheduled for late October. Reports indicate a surge in new construction plans and tenders, notably within the E1 project located between Jerusalem and the Ma'ale Adumim settlement.

Authorities have scheduled a tender for 2,167 settlement units in the E1 area to open on October 25, just two days before the elections. This follows a previous tender in August for 1,234 units, effectively completing the marketing of all 3,401 approved units for the project. Additionally, a new project in Ma'ale Adumim involving 750 units is being promoted, which includes urban renewal plans that may require the demolition of existing structures.

Other developments include the 'Crimson Thread' project in the Jordan Valley and northern West Bank, as well as the expansion of settlement pastoral farms. Data from B'Tselem shows the establishment of 185 new outposts over the last three years. Meanwhile, researchers at Tel Aviv University have warned that rising settler violence in the West Bank has become a 'clear strategic threat' to security and the governance system, noting a significant increase in incidents during the first half of 2026.