Israel issues construction tender for controversial West Bank settlement near Jerusalem

JERUSALEM, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Israel has issued a tender for construction in a controversial settlement project near Jerusalem that critics say would split the West Bank in two, government documents showed on Tuesday.

According to documents seen by Xinhua, the tender seeks developers to build 3,401 units in the controversial E1 project, with a bidding deadline of March 16. Construction could start within several