Plans for a contentious settlement project near Jerusalem have cleared the final hurdle before construction on the development, which both critics and proponents say will effectively divide the West Bank, according to a government tender.

The tender, which seeks bids from developers, would clear the way to begin building thousands of housing units in an area known as E1 east of the capital.

The anti-settlement monitoring group Peace Now first reported the tender. Yoni Mizrahi, who runs the group’s settlement watch division, said initial work could begin within the month.

“In an alarming display of political recklessness, the Israeli government continues to undermine any prospect for a political solution and a better future for both Israelis and Palestinians,” Peace Now said in a Monday statement. “Construction in E1 is intended to create irreversible facts on the ground leading to a one-state reality.”

Development of E1, an open tract of desert between Jerusalem and the mega-settlement of Maaleh Adumim, has been under consideration for more than two decades, but was frozen due to US pressure during previous administrations.

The........

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