Israel issues tenders for new settler homes
Al-Huriya News Agency - Israel has advanced plans for 1,460 new homes in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank after the formation of a Palestinian unity government. Housing Minister Uri Ariel said the move was a "fitting Zionist response" to the reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas but also "just the beginning".
Israel has insisted it will not work with a government backed by Hamas. The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) said it viewed the announcement of new tenders as a "grave violation". Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi said it viewed the "latest escalation with the utmost seriousness" and would appeal to the UN Security Council and the General Assembly.
About 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
