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Alsharq Tribune- Gina Issa
Israeli authorities have approved, in violation of international law, a major expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
A Defense Ministry planning committee on Wednesday gave the thumbs-up to the project, in which roughly 3,400 housing units will be built in the West Bank, east of Jerusalem.
Local media say the project will effectively cut the West Bank into two separate parts, north and south.
Israel's settlement activities in the West Bank are viewed as an obstacle to a two-state solution, in which Israel and a future Palestine state coexist.
The international community has voiced concerns that the move will hamper the establishment of a Palestinian state in the future.
The latest move comes as countries including Britain and France have expressed their intention of recognizing Palestine statehood.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich released a statement saying, "The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions."
