RAMALLAH, July 19, 2026 (WAFA) - The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said on Sunday that the so-called Israel Land Authority has issued a new tender, numbered 7/2026, for the construction of 342 colonial housing units in the Ariel settlement, built on Palestinian land in the Salfit governorate.

In a statement, the commission said bids for the project will be accepted until August 31. It noted that Israeli authorities approved the plan on May 25, 2025, paving the way for the implementation of the new settlement project, known as "Ariel West."

The commission said the tender reflects the Israeli government's continued shift from approving settlement plans to implementing them by inviting development and construction companies to carry out projects, accelerating settlement expansion and turning approved plans into developments on the ground.

It added that the project is particularly significant because it is located in the Ariel settlement, one of the largest settlement blocs in the northern occupied West Bank, which successive Israeli governments have sought to expand both physically and demographically while strengthening its connection to central Israel.

According to the commission, Israeli authorities published 12 settlement tenders during the first half of 2026, covering residential, commercial, industrial, tourism, and service projects.

The tenders included 1,138 colonial housing units ready for implementation, concentrated in five major settlements: Ariel (342 units), Ma'ale Adumim (581 units), Immanuel (21 units), and Ganei Modi'in (194 units). 

Additional tenders were allocated for industrial and commercial zones, office buildings, elderly care facilities, and tourism and recreational projects, reflecting a growing focus on developing the economic and service infrastructure of settlements alongside residential expansion.

M.N