Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement on 11 September 2025 to advance the controversial E1 settlement expansion plan.
The project, which cuts across land earmarked by Palestinians for a future state, has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Speaking at Maale Adumim in the West Bank, Netanyahu declared, “There will never be a Palestinian state. This place is ours.”
He pledged to secure Israel’s heritage and future by expanding settlements, despite years of international objections.
The E1 project, which received final approval from a Defence Ministry planning commission in August, involves constructing thousands of new housing units. Analysts say it would bisect the occupied West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, critically undermining prospects for a contiguous Palestinian state.
Nationalist members of Netanyahu’s coalition, including far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, joined him at the announcement.
Smotrich had earlier stated that the concept of a Palestinian state “is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions.”
The initiative was signed just two days after Israel attempted to assassinate Hamas leaders in Qatar. That strike, condemned as a violation of sovereignty by multiple governments, has strained Israel’s diplomatic standing further.
Western allies, already unsettled by the continuation and escalation of the Gaza war, have warned that reviving E1 could isolate Israel further. Some capitals are considering recognising Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly later this month.
The E1 plan was previously frozen in 2012 and again in 2020 after objections from the United States and European governments.
Despite this, investment in the project, which includes roads and major infrastructure upgrades, is expected to reach nearly US$1 billion.
Palestinian Authority spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh condemned Netanyahu’s announcement, calling Israeli settlements illegal under international law.
He said Netanyahu was “pushing the entire region towards the abyss,” and insisted that the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital was inevitable.
Rudeineh urged more countries to recognise Palestine immediately, noting that 149 United Nations members already had. The two-state solution, he argued, remained the only viable path to peace.
Most of the international community maintains that Israeli settlements in the West Bank violate international law.
Over 140 out of 193 UN member states have already recognised Palestine, though countries including Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and the United States have not.
Singapore reiterated its support for negotiations this week.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan spoke separately with Palestinian Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin on 9 September and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Moshe Sa’ar on 10 September, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
The MFA described the discussions as “candid and open.”
Dr Balakrishnan expressed grave concern about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, urging an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of hostages.
He reiterated that a negotiated two-state solution, in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions, was the only path to a just and lasting peace.
Singapore envoy Kevin Cheok had in July confirmed that Singapore was prepared in principle to recognise the State of Palestine. The condition, however, was that recognition must support progress toward peace and a negotiated two-state solution.
In his call with Sa’ar, Dr Balakrishnan cautioned that Israel’s intensifying military campaign in Gaza had worsened civilian suffering.
While acknowledging Israel’s right to self-defence after Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attacks, he urged Israel to exercise restraint, allow humanitarian aid, and avoid unilateral actions that undermine peace prospects.
Singapore also strongly criticised Israel’s 9 September air strike on Doha, which targeted Hamas figures.
The MFA called it a “blatant violation of the sovereignty of Qatar” and warned that it jeopardised ongoing ceasefire and hostage negotiations.
The escalating settlement expansion, coupled with mounting military operations, places Israel at the centre of renewed global debate over the two-state solution, with multiple countries poised to challenge its position at the UN later this month.
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