Israel has approved the construction of 764 more homes in three Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, a decision that is likely to increase tensions in the Palestinian territory, the Associated Press reported, BTA reported.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said today that Israel's Supreme Planning Council, the body responsible for settlement plans in the West Bank, has approved 478, 230 and 56 housing units in the Jewish settlements of Hashmonaim, Beitar Illit and Givat Ze'ev, respectively.
Smotrich, who plays a key role in formulating West Bank settlement policy and is himself a settler, described the Supreme Planning Council's decision as part of a "clear strategic step to strengthen the settlements and ensure the continuity of life, security and growth".
With today's decision, the total number of Jewish homes approved in the West Bank since Smotrich took office reaches 51,370, he stressed in his statement.
The majority of the international community considers Jewish settlements illegal under international law, and the UN Security Council has adopted a number of resolutions against their expansion.
A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the move, saying that the approval was part of a settlement policy that "aims to inflame the region" and "pull it into a cycle of violence and war".