SAFA -  Israeli occupation is pushing ahead with new settlement projects in and around occupied Jerusalem, as Palestinian analysts warn that the accelerating expansion is altering the city’s geographic landscape, intensifying pressure on Palestinian communities, and undermining territorial contiguity.

In its latest move, the so-called Israel Land Authority issued tender No. 177/2026 for the construction of 627 settlement housing units in the Kokhav Ya'akov settlement in the occupied Jerusalem Governorate.

The tender was published on August 6, with November 30, 2026, set as the deadline for companies to submit bids.

 The Israeli occupation approved the planning scheme behind the project on April 27, 2025. The plan covers approximately 253.7 dunams.

The tender marks a shift from planning and approval toward implementation. Under Israel’s settlement planning system, tenders allow developers and contractors to obtain construction plots, bringing approved housing projects closer to physical construction.

Settlement specialist Khaled Mansour said the latest tender was part of a broader strategy aimed at surrounding occupied Jerusalem with settlements and strengthening the settler presence in and around the city.

Speaking to a Palestinian newspaper, Mansour said the Israeli occupation was  seeking to increase the number of settlers in the Jerusalem area and alter its demographic and geographic character. 

He also accused the Israeli government and far-right political parties of using settlement expansion to advance political objectives at the expense of Palestinian land and rights.

Mansour said the latest project follows a series of settlement measures adopted in recent months, including the establishment of new outposts and the seizure of Palestinian land.

He pointed to the E1 settlement project as another example of plans designed to connect settlements around Jerusalem while disrupting territorial links between Palestinian communities.

Settlement expert Abdullah Abu Rahma said Israel was “racing against time” to approve settlement plans and issue construction tenders, warning that the pace of activity around Jerusalem had intensified.

Abu Rahma told Palestine that settlement expansion includes new housing units, tenders, the expansion of existing settlements, and efforts to legalize outposts.

 He said the measures seek to fragment Palestinian territory, disrupt geographic continuity between Palestinian cities and villages, and strengthen links between settlement blocs through roads and new outposts.

He described the policy as part of a broader effort to consolidate Israeli control over Palestinian land and undermine prospects for a future Palestinian state.

Abu Rahma called for stronger international legal and diplomatic action against settlement expansion, including challenges before international judicial bodies and increased political pressure on Israel.

He also urged a unified Palestinian strategy to strengthen communities facing land confiscation and displacement, while calling on international governments and solidarity groups to move beyond statements of condemnation toward concrete measures, including sanctions and legal accountability.

The latest tender, he said, demonstrates that settlement expansion around Jerusalem is moving steadily from planning to implementation, creating new realities on the ground that could further reshape the city and its surrounding Palestinian landscape.