Homes in Ulpana neighborhood of Beit El
Homes in Ulpana neighborhood of Beit ElOren Nahshon / FLASH90

The European Union on Monday condemned the issuing of tenders for 1,300 housing units for Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

"On Sunday, the Israeli authorities announced the publication of tenders for the construction of more than 1,300 housing units in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory and another tender for the construction of an additional 83 units in Givat Hamatos in East Jerusalem," the Eu spokesperson stated.

The spokesperson claimed that "settlements are illegal under international law and constitute a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between the parties. The European Union has consistently made clear that it will not recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by both sides."

"We call upon the Government of Israel to halt settlement construction and to not proceed with the announced tenders," the statement concluded.

The tenders were issued yesterday at the direction of Housing and Construction Minister Ze'ev Elkin, in the first such approval of construction in the settlements under the Bennett-Lapid government.

This coming Wednesday, the construction of 3,144 housing units in Judea and Samaria will be approved. The Supreme Planning Council of the Civil Administration will also approve, among other things, the outline plan of Mitzpe Dani in the area of ​​Ma'ale Mikhmas in the Benjamin region.

At the same time, the construction of more than a thousand housing units for Palestinian Arabs in Area C will be approved, but the construction plan for Khirbet Beit Zakariyyah in Gush Etzion will not be approved.