Jerusalem Encircled by the E1 Settlement Expansion Plan

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): Al-Bayder Human Rights Organization stated that the accelerated settlement activity in East Jerusalem, as part of the E1 plan, is a dangerous move that targets the cities of Anata, Hizma and Jab’a and the surrounding Bedouin communities, and is being carried out in the midst of efforts to change the geography of Palestine in a way that threatens the geographical continuity of the West Bank.

The organization added that these actions are being carried out within the framework of the E1 plan, which aims to connect the settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim to Jerusalem. This effectively destroys the geographical continuity between the north and south of the West Bank, encircling East Jerusalem with a colonial ring, and eliminates any future possibility of it becoming the capital of an independent Palestinian state.

The organization stressed that the E1 plan, which covers approximately 12 square kilometers, was first proposed in the 1990s, but faced widespread international opposition. Currently, the plan is being gradually implemented through the creation of small, undeclared settlements, paving the way for them to be connected by secondary roads, military camps and checkpoints. This effectively isolates East Jerusalem and traps Bedouin communities in isolated, isolated areas.