Ramallah: The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission announced that the 'Israel Land Authority' has issued a tender, No. 177/2026, for constructing 627 colonial housing units in the Kochav Yaakov colony. This colony is illegally situated on lands of the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate and is part of a high-density residential development project.
According to Palestine news and Information Agency, the tender was published on August 6, 2026, with a deadline set for November 30, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. for development and construction companies to submit their bids. The occupation authorities had previously approved the plan, which serves as the planning basis for the tender, on April 27, 2025. Spanning an area of 253.7 dunums, the plan's approval was followed by the tender's issuance approximately 15 months later, marking a transition from planning and approval to marketing and implementation stages.
The Commission highlighted that the tender represents the integration of various stages of colonial expansion. Planning approval grants the project its regulatory status, while tenders facilitate the allocation of construction plots, the involvement of development companies and contractors, and the commencement of implementation works. This progression transforms the units from planning figures to a buildable residential project, enhancing the colony's capacity and reinforcing its demographic and urban presence.
The project's significance is underscored by the Kochav Yaakov colony's location between northern Jerusalem and the cities of Ramallah and Al-Bireh. It lies within the colonial bloc administered by the occupation authorities under the name 'Binyamin.' The construction of the new units will expand the colony's urban footprint and strengthen its links with the surrounding network of colonies and roads, further pressuring Palestinian geography and deepening the separation between Jerusalem and its Palestinian surroundings, and the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate.
Previous publications by the Commission have classified Kochav Yaakov among the colonies built on lands of the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate. During the first half of 2026, the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission monitored the publication of 12 colonial tenders by the occupation authorities. These tenders covered residential, commercial, industrial, tourism, and service projects.
The Commission's documentation indicated that these tenders included 1,138 colonial housing units ready for implementation, concentrated in five main colonies. The remaining tenders covered projects not including direct residential units but instead allocated land for industrial and commercial zones, offices, nursing homes, and tourism and recreational facilities. The Commission noted an increasing trend toward developing the economic and service infrastructure of the colonies, rather than focusing solely on residential expansion.