Occupied Jerusalem: The Israeli regime will approve construction of hundreds of new colony homes in the occupied West Bank, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Tuesday.
Israel’s insistance to build illegal colonies on Palestinian land is the single largest road block to peace talks, frozen since 2014.
Palestinians want the West Bank for a future state, along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
Israeli colonies are illegal under international law, built on land which Israel occupied in the 1967 War.
Israeli authorities were due to approve on Wednesday the construction of 1,285 housing units to be built in 2018 and advance planning for 2,500 others in about 20 different colonies, Lieberman said in a statement.
Asked about the construction plans, a US State Department official said there had been no change in policy on colonies and the Israeli government had made clear that going forward “its intent is to adopt a policy regarding colony activity that takes the President’s concerns into consideration.”
“The United States welcomes this. As the President has said repeatedly, the administration is firmly committed to pursuing a comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” the US
official said on condition of anonymity.
The White House said on Monday US Vice President Mike Pence will visit the region from Jan. 20 to 23, embarking on a tour originally planned for December after Trump recognised Occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Pence will hold talks with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi, Jordan’s King Abdullah and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said.
Trump’s decision on Occupied Jerusalem and announcement in December that the United States would start the process of moving its embassy from Tel Aviv enraged the Palestinians who said the United States can no longer broker peace with Israel.
