Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission: Tender issued for 627 new colonial housing units on lands of Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate
RAMALLAH, August 8, 2026 (WAFA) – The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said that the “Israel Land Authority” has issued a new tender, No. 177/2026, for the construction of 627 colonial housing units in the Kochav Yaakov colony, illegally built on lands of the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, as part of a high-density residential development project.
The Commission said the tender was published on August 6, 2026, setting November 30, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., as the deadline for development and construction companies to submit their bids.
The occupation authorities approved the plan serving as the planning basis for the tender on April 27, 2025. Covering an area of 253.7 dunums, the plan was followed by the issuance of the tender approximately 15 months later, marking the transition from the planning and approval stage to the marketing and implementation stages.
According to the Commission, the tender reflects the integration of the various stages of colonial expansion, whereby planning approval grants the project its regulatory status, while tenders facilitate the allocation of construction plots, the involvement of development companies and contractors, and the commencement of implementation works.
Thus, the units included in the plan move from planning figures to a buildable residential project, increasing the colony’s capacity and reinforcing its demographic and urban presence.
The project is particularly significant given the location of the Kochav Yaakov colony between northern Jerusalem and the city of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, within the colonial bloc administered by the occupation authorities under the name “Binyamin.”
The construction of 627 new units will expand the colony’s urban footprint and strengthen its links with the surrounding network of colonies and roads, placing further pressure on the Palestinian geography and deepening the separation between Jerusalem and its Palestinian surroundings, on the one hand, and the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, on the other.
Previous publications by the Commission have classified Kochav Yaakov among the colonies built on lands of the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate.
Previous publications by the Commission have classified Kokhav Ya'akov among the colonies built on lands of the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate.
During the first half of 2026, the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission monitored the publication of 12 colonial tenders by the occupation authorities, covering residential, commercial, industrial, tourism, and service projects.
The Commission’s documentation showed that these tenders included 1,138 colonial housing units ready for implementation, concentrated in five main colonies.
The remaining tenders covered projects that did not include direct residential units, but instead allocated land for industrial and commercial zones, offices, nursing homes, and tourism and recreational facilities, which the Commission said reflects an increasing trend toward developing the economic and service infrastructure of the colonies, rather than focusing solely on residential expansion.
T.R.
