Over 200 Palestinians, reportedly backed by foreign activists, have occupied an area of the disputed E1 zone. The action began in the early hours of Friday morning, as reported by Ynet.

The outpost has been dubbed, ‘Bab al-Shams’ by the activists, which means ‘Gate of the Sun’. When Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the Israeli development of the E1 area last month, the international community was up in arms. So far, nothing has been said of the occupation by these Palestinians.

Mahmoud Zawara, of the Popular Palestinian Committees insisted that the tents that have been erected near Ma’aleh Adumim as part of the ‘struggle’, stating, “we chose this specific area because it is conquered Palestinian land and places a wedge between the northern and southern parts of the West Bank."

“I hope the encampment will be permanent and remain in the E1 area," he added.

“We came here in the framework of non-violent resistance; we will not resort to any kind of violence," he told Ynet.

The move has come just over a month after the Israeli government announced plans to advance construction in E1, a move that was largely in response to the UN’s recognition of ‘Palestine’ as a non-member observer state.

There has so far been no international reaction to what is evidently a provocative move by the Popular Palestinian Committees over the same land.