Maaleh Adumim Mayor Guy Yifrah, alongside Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Yesha Council head Israel Ganz, announced the approval of the E1 plan and the expansion of the 'Desert Bird' neighborhood in a press conference. Yifrah marked the occasion by reciting a special blessing, describing it as a historic moment for the city. The plan will add thousands of housing units, potentially bringing about 35,000 new residents and connecting Maaleh Adumim to Jerusalem, reinforcing territorial continuity. While Israeli officials hailed the development as a significant step, the Palestinian Authority and international community consider it a major barrier to the creation of a Palestinian state with its capital in eastern Jerusalem.