Israel accelerates West Bank settlement expansion ahead of elections

Israel is pushing ahead with West Bank settlement construction, including roughly 1,200 homes in the strategically sensitive E1 area near Jerusalem. The move has drawn widespread international condemnation and raised fears that it would fragment the territory and derail any future Palestinian state. The expansion is tied to a broader shift toward civilian control under Bezalel Smotrich, new road networks through the West Bank, and a wave of settler outposts, all occurring as elections approach in Israel.