European leaders have sharply criticized Israel's plan to expand housing in the E1 area between Ma'ale Adumim and Jerusalem, arguing that it violates international law and undermines prospects for a two-state solution. The European Union, Germany, and the United Kingdom have all called for Israel to halt the project, warning that it would divide a future Palestinian state and further entrench occupation in the West Bank.

The E1 expansion will add over 3,500 housing units to Ma'ale Adumim, potentially doubling its population in the coming years. Israeli officials, including Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have defended the move as a strategic effort to strengthen territorial continuity and reject foreign pressure, insisting it reinforces Israel's claim to the area and rules out the possibility of a Palestinian state.

Smotrich dismissed Western criticism as hypocrisy and vowed to continue building and asserting sovereignty over the region, declaring that only Israel will determine its future. The dispute comes as some European countries consider recognizing a Palestinian state, intensifying tensions over the future of the region.