Israel to build homes in occupied land

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Source: CCTV.com | 12-24-2007 08:45

Also Israel says it plans to build more new homes in the occupied West Bank despite Palestinian calls to freeze settlement expansion.

Israel is planning 740 new homes on occupied land next year.(CCTV.com)

This latest dispute is likely to cast a shadow on newly re-launched Mideast peace talks.

Israel is planning 740 new homes on occupied land next year. It says the construction is legal under its right for natural growth.

Yuli Tamir, Israeli Education Minister, said, "I think that it should be clear that Israel is not going to build outside those areas that are going to be part of the future territory, but in those areas that are going to be included in the future

territories there is no problem to build new houses."

The decision has enraged Palestinians, whose officials say it will undermine peace talks. The stalled talks just re-opened at Annapolis conference last month.

Israel is planning 740 new homes on occupied land next year.(CCTV.com)

Nabil Abu Amr, Adviser to Palestinian President, said, "If there is a chance for resuming the negotiations I am sure that the settlement policy will be completely against that. We will concentrate our efforts and our negotiations on this point especially through the negotiations."

Palestinian officials say they will pressure Israel to halt all settlement activities.

The Ministry of Construction's proposed budget for 2008 includes 500 apartments at Har Homa and 240 at the Maale Adumim settlement in and around Jerusalem. But a spokesman for President Ehud Olmert says they're not aware of the plan.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei