Israeli justice has rejected an appeal by several NGOs challenging the E1 settlement project in the West Bank

Israeli justice on Tuesday rejected the urgent request by several NGOs to suspend the tender for the E1 settlement project, one of the most controversial real estate plans in the West Bank. The Jerusalem District Court ruled that the process could continue, finding that it would not produce irreversible changes on the ground in the short term.

The appeal had been filed after the Israeli Housing Ministry launched a tender in July for the construction of more than 1,200 housing units. The organizations bringing the case, including Peace Now, called for the procedure to be canceled, while several European states urged Israel to abandon the project.

The judge argued that the tender and the obtaining of permits would take place over an extended period, allowing the courts to examine the merits of the case before construction began. The NGOs, however, accused the court of favoring the government and warned that the project could accelerate the displacement of Palestinians from the area.

The E1 plan calls for the construction of approximately 3,400 homes over an area of 12 square kilometers, between the Maale Adumim settlement and East Jerusalem. Critics argue that the project would fragment the West Bank and further isolate East Jerusalem from the rest of the Palestinian territory.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, where around three million Palestinians and more than 500,000 Israeli settlers live.