US lawmakers push for sanctions over Israel's E1 settlement plan in West Bank

A group of United States lawmakers is pressing for sanctions against Israel over its controversial E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, a plan that critics warn would permanently divide Palestinian territory and foreclose the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state.

The E1 corridor, situated between Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim, has long been regarded as one of the most strategically sensitive areas of the West Bank. Development there would sever the northern West Bank from the southern portion, making Palestinian territorial continuity all but impossible.

The proposal has drawn widespread international condemnation, and the move by US legislators marks a significant escalation in domestic political pressure over Israeli settlement expansion.