Israel Issues Tender for 732 Settlement Units in Gva’ot West of Bethlehem

Bethlehem, MINA – The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission has documented the issuance of a new tender by the occupation authorities on Sunday for the construction of 732 colonial units in the Gva’ot settlement, west of Bethlehem, as part of the first phase of the project, according to the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA).

The tender, numbered 261/2026, includes multi-story residential buildings, as well as commercial facilities, public buildings, and institutions, according to the initial announcement published in the Israel Land Authority’s registry.

In a statement issued Monday, the Commission explained that a direct review of the tender documents indicates that the submission period will open on December 1 and close on the 28th of the same month.

The Commission noted that this residential tender coincides with the issuance of a non-residential tender, numbered 263/2026, for the same site, covering land designated for commercial use, business operations, public buildings, and institutions.

The pairing of these tenders demonstrates that the colonial expansion is not limited to increasing the number of residential units; it also encompasses the provision of economic and service-oriented components designed to ensure the sustainability of the project and entrench it further on Palestinian land in the Bethlehem Governorate.

The Commission pointed out that the issuance of these tenders marks a transition in the colonial project, moving from the approval of master plans to the marketing of land, thereby inviting companies and developers to compete for its exploitation and construction. This paves the way for the signing of contracts and the actual development of the units, facilities, and the associated economic and service infrastructure.

The Commission added that the publication of a tender does not necessarily mean that construction has actually begun or that a contract has been awarded, but it represents a significant, practical step toward turning plans into reality on the ground. It is considered to have commenced from the date the initial announcement is published, even if the full tender documentation has not yet been released or the submission of bids has not yet begun.

Data from the Commission, based on a review of records from the Israel Land Authority, indicate that at least 28 tenders for the marketing of land in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, have been published between the beginning of 2026 and November 8. Of these, 18 tenders included a residential component, comprising a total of 7,815 colonial housing units, alongside ten tenders for non-residential purposes.

The Gva’ot tender is the second major settlement tender documented this week. On Thursday, the Commission reported that Israeli authorities issued two new tenders for 91 settlement units in the illegal Oranit settlement in Qalqilya governorate, and revised the timetable for the E1 project east of Jerusalem, which covers 2,167 settlement units. Several Arab, Muslim, and Western countries have rejected Israeli moves to advance E1, warning that it would undermine prospects for a two-state solution by severing the northern and southern halves of the West Bank from each other.

The distinction the Commission draws between residential and non-residential tenders is analytically important. Residential tenders expand the settler population, while commercial and public facility tenders create the economic infrastructure that makes settlements sustainable over time. A settlement with housing but no services is less durable than one with shops, businesses, schools, and public institutions, and the pairing of tenders 261/2026 and 263/2026 indicates that Gva’ot is being planned as a permanent urban presence rather than a dormitory outpost.

The tenders also proceed alongside other measures that are reshaping the West Bank. Israeli military orders have seized more than 26 dunums of Palestinian land in three villages northwest of Ramallah for a settler bypass road, and more than 9,500 demolition and stop-work notices have been issued across the territory. According to Palestinian figures, more than 1,220 Palestinians have been killed and around 13,350 wounded in the West Bank since October 2023, while more than 26,000 have been arrested.

Palestinians warn that these measures are paving the way for Israel to formally annex the occupied West Bank, undermining prospects for an independent Palestinian state. The tenders’ timing also intersects with Israel’s political transition, as President Isaac Herzog officially tasked Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government on Sunday, with 67 Knesset members having recommended him and 46 backing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)