Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has strongly condemned Israel’s decision to issue construction tenders for the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, describing it as a serious violation of international law.

Anwar said the project involved a tract of land east of Jerusalem and would further entrench Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.

“I unreservedly denounce the Israeli regime’s decision to issue construction tenders for the E1 settlement project,” he said in a statement today.

He stressed that the expansion of Israeli settlements undermined international efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Palestine and further threatened the prospects for a two-state solution.

Anwar also reaffirmed Malaysia’s steadfast support for the Palestinian people and its rejection of Israel’s settlement policies in the occupied territories.

The E1 project has drawn international criticism, with the proposed development involving more than 1,200 housing units and raising concerns over its impact on the territorial contiguity of a future Palestinian state.