Hamas described the move as a dangerous precedent and a practical recognition of the legitimacy of colonial-settlements and the occupation's control over the West Bank. The Palestine Liberation Organization's Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said in a statement the decision constitutes a clear violation of international law and a blatant favouring of the occupation authorities.
Capitalizing on the inaction of the international community, which failed to apply meaningful pressure on Israel to halt its genocidal war in Gaza, the Israeli state has fast-tracked its efforts to carve up the West Bank through land grabs, home demolitions, and the mass expulsion of Palestinians. The purpose of the E1 project has always been clear; as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said last August, it is intended to "bury the idea of a Palestinian state."
