UK warns firms that bidding on E1 settlement tenders exposes them to sanctions

By Lazar Berman

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Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

This photograph taken from the E1 corridor, an area in the West Bank shows vehicles driving along the highway near the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, on September 8, 2026. (Ahmad GHARABLI/AFP)

The UK warns construction firms that submitting tenders for construction in the E1 area near Jerusalem would open them up to British sanctions.

Bidding on the controversial project closes today.

“I want to be very clear with those considering engaging in the tendering process: we have created new powers allowing us to sanction individuals and companies involved in the construction of illegal settlements such as E1,” says UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband in a statement.

“We urge businesses and individuals not to proceed with bids for E1 construction tenders,” he continues. “They should be aware of legal and reputational consequences, including the risk of involving themselves in serious breaches of international law.”

The E1 project would see thousands of housing units built as an extension of the Ma’ale Adumim city-settlement, between the existing western boundaries of Ma’ale Adumim and East Jerusalem, cutting off territorial contiguity between key Palestinian population centers, including Ramallah, East Jerusalem and Bethlehem.