The tenders are for a project in the E1 area, east of Jerusalem, which has long faced international condemnation. Critics argue the development would effectively bisect the occupied West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem, thereby eliminating the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state. The deadline for bids is October 19, just days before Israel's general election on October 27, a timing seen as making it harder for any future government to reverse the tenders. The current Israeli government approved 3,401 housing units in the E1 area last August, explicitly stating its aim to "erase" the idea of a Palestinian state.