The project, located in a tract of land known as E1 just east of Jerusalem, has been under discussion for more than two decades.

Israeli approval of the E1 settlement project in the West Bank has sparked controversy, with critics saying it threatens Palestinian statehood hopes. Despite international condemnation and previous U.

Israel gave final approval for a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two, and that Palestinians and rights groups say could destroy plans for a future Palestinian state.