The Israel Land Authority published Sunday the tender for the construction of 1,257 housing units in the Givat Hamatos neighborhood in southeast Jerusalem, the Walla website reported.
The publication of the tender had been delayed significantly since the project was initially announced by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon.
The last date for developers to submit bids is January 25,2021, a few days after Joe Biden is expected to be inaugurated as President of the United States.
The left-wing Peace Now movement attacked the announcement. "This construction means a fatal blow to the possibility that there will ever be peace and a two-state solution for two peoples."
"This government was formed to address the coronavirus and is taking advantage of the twilight days of the Trump administration to establish facts on the ground and sabotage the prospect of peace," the movement added.
Peace Now stated that "this disaster can still be stopped and we hope that the members of the government who still have a drop of responsibility in their hearts for the future of us all will do what they can to stop the tender before bids are submitted."