Israel to Press ahead with Building Plan

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　　Israel has given preliminary approval for the construction of more than a thousand new apartments in occupied West Bank settlements.

 

　　This comes before Israeli and Palestinian negotiators head into the second round of their US-brokered peace talks in Jerusalem next Wednesday.

 

　　Peace Now, an Israeli anti-settlement watchdog said the move if greenlighted by the government could complicate¹ the peace talks.

 

　　Lior Amichai is an expert on settlements with the group.

 

　　"The government of Israel through the civil administration, a military body in the IDF, approved over 1,000 housing units in the West Bank settlements. This puts into question Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu's true intentions going into the negotiations³ table."

 

　　Peace talks between the two sides previously⁴ broke down in 2010 over Israel's settlement construction.

 

　　The two sides only resumed negotiations last month, after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry manuvoured for months to get both back around the negotiation² table.

 

　　On Sunday, the Israeli government put 91 settlements on a national priority funding list. It includes 9 from the West Bank.

 

　　Settlements are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.

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