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Israel Approves New West Bank Homes

Construction will 'undermine peace talks,' Palestinians warn

By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 10, 2008 4:05 AM CDT

(Newser) – Israel has approved plans to begin or complete 750 new homes in the occupied West Bank, posing yet another hurdle to the success of US-brokered Mideast peace talks, Reuters reports. Palestinian leaders immediately condemned the new construction in the Jewish settlement of Givat Ze'ev near Jerusalem. "This will undermine the talks," warned a chief negotiator.

A US general is to convene meetings this week to determine if Israeli and Palestinian leaders are sticking to the peace "road map," which calls on Israel to stop settlement activity and on the Palestinians to halt attacks. The announcement yesterday by Israeli PM Ehud Olmert came 3 days after eight Yeshiva students were killed by a Palestinnian gunman. That followed days of Israeli missile attacks on the Gaza Strip that killed some 120 Palestinians, about half of them civilians.

Ulltra-Orthodox Jewish men look at posters with the names of the eight yeshiva students that were killed by a Palestinian gunman last Thursday, at the entrance to the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Sunday, March 9, 2008. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has approved new construction in a West Bank settlement...
Ulltra-Orthodox Jewish men look at posters with the names of the eight yeshiva students that were killed by a Palestinian gunman last Thursday, at the entrance to the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem,...   (Associated Press)
Jewish men pray as they are seen through a window of the synagogue of the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva where eight students were killed by a Palestinian gunman last Thursday, in Jerusalem, Sunday, March 9, 2008. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has approved new construction in a West Bank settlement outside Jerusalem,...
Jewish men pray as they are seen through a window of the synagogue of the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva where eight students were killed by a Palestinian gunman last Thursday, in Jerusalem, Sunday, March 9, 2008....   (Associated Press)
Arab workers work at a construction site of new housing units in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Givat Zeev near Jerusalem Sunday, March 9, 2008. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has approved new construction in Givat Zeev outside Jerusalem, a Construction Ministry official said Sunday, just days after a...
Arab workers work at a construction site of new housing units in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Givat Zeev near Jerusalem Sunday, March 9, 2008. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has approved new...   (Associated Press)
Israeli's visit a construction site of new housing units in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Givat Zeev near Jerusalem Sunday, March 9, 2008. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has approved new construction in Givat Zeev outside Jerusalem, a Construction Ministry official said Sunday, just days after a Palestinian man...
Israeli's visit a construction site of new housing units in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Givat Zeev near Jerusalem Sunday, March 9, 2008. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has approved new construction...   (Associated Press)
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