Israel Issues 45-Day Notice for Settlement Expansion
In its statement, the governorate explained that the notice pertains to the “Life Fabric” initiative, describing it as a pivotal step toward advancing Israel’s long-standing annexation ambitions in the E1 corridor.
The initiative aims to establish continuous territorial linkage between the unlawful settlement of Maale Adumim and Jerusalem, a move that would effectively split the occupied West Bank into two distinct sections and incorporate nearly 3% of its land into Israel’s “Greater Jerusalem” blueprint, the statement noted.
Palestinian authorities cautioned that the plan would formalize a system of traffic separation, compelling Palestinians to leave Highway 1 and reroute through an underground passage near the Zaeem checkpoint, while reserving the main road solely for settlers.
The governorate further indicated that the project would deepen the isolation of Bedouin groups in Jabal al-Baba and Wadi al-Jamal, along with the town of al-Eizariya, potentially resulting in the demolition and removal of dozens of structures that have already received at least 43 preliminary warnings.
According to the statement, the project—valued at approximately $98 million—is being funded through Palestinian clearance revenues withheld by Israeli authorities under directives from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Although Israel has attempted to present the initiative internationally as serving Palestinian interests, planning records reveal it is chiefly designed to facilitate settler mobility.
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