Israel issues tender for 732 settlement units near Bethlehem
Submissions for the project open Dec. 1 and close Dec. 28, the commission said, as a second tender covers commercial land on the same site.
Israeli authorities issued a tender on Sunday for the construction of 732 housing units in the Gva'ot settlement, west of Bethlehem, the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission said in a statement.
The tender, numbered 261/2026, includes multi-story residential buildings, commercial facilities, public buildings and institutions, and was posted in the registry of the Israel Land Authority.
The commission said a review of the tender documents shows that submissions will open on Dec. 1 and close on Dec. 28.
The commission said a separate non-residential tender, numbered 263/2026, was issued for the same site, covering land designated for commercial use, business operations, public buildings and institutions.
The commission argued that the paired tenders show the expansion goes beyond adding housing, since it also includes economic and service components meant to sustain the project and entrench it on land in the Bethlehem Governorate.
The commission said the tenders mark a shift from approving master plans to marketing land to companies and developers, who will compete to exploit and build on it.
The commission noted that a tender does not necessarily mean construction has begun or that a contract has been awarded, but said it is a practical step toward turning plans into reality.
Data compiled by the commission from Israel Land Authority records show that at least 28 tenders for marketing land in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, were published between the start of 2026 and Nov. 8.
Of those tenders, 18 included a residential component totaling 7,815 housing units, while ten were for non-residential purposes, the commission said.
Israel's settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law, a position held by the United Nations and most of the international community, though Israel disputes this view.
Palestinians and many foreign governments have long opposed settlement construction, arguing that it undermines prospects for a negotiated two-state solution.