KUALA LUMPUR, August 21, 2026 (WAFA) — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has condemned Israel’s decision to issue tenders for the construction of settlement units as part of the E1 project in the occupied West Bank, warning international companies against participating in the project.

In a post on X, Anwar strongly condemned Israel’s decision to issue tenders for the E1 settlement project, stressing that the area east of Jerusalem has long been considered critical to the viability of a future Palestinian state.

He warned that any construction in the area would fragment the occupied West Bank and “seriously undermine” prospects for establishing a geographically contiguous Palestinian state.

Israeli rights groups have reported that Israel issued a tender for 1,234 settlement units within the E1 project without notifying petitioners challenging the project, despite a previous commitment to inform them of any new developments in the proceedings.

The E1 project seeks to link the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim with occupied East Jerusalem through the construction of Israeli facilities on Palestinian land. The wider project includes around 3,400 settlement units.

Anwar stressed that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law, saying Israel its continuing its illegal settlement activities without accountability.

M.N