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| Israel approves 900 settler homes | Israel approves 900 settler homes |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Israel's interior ministry has authorised the construction of 900 new housing units at a Jewish settlement to the south of Jerusalem. | Israel's interior ministry has authorised the construction of 900 new housing units at a Jewish settlement to the south of Jerusalem. |
| The planning and construction committee approved the expansion of Gilo, which is built on land captured in 1967 and annexed to the Jerusalem municipality. | The planning and construction committee approved the expansion of Gilo, which is built on land captured in 1967 and annexed to the Jerusalem municipality. |
| The project still faces review and the public will be able to make objections. | The project still faces review and the public will be able to make objections. |
| Settlements on occupied territory are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. | Settlements on occupied territory are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. |
| Israeli media reported earlier that the government had rejected a request from Washington to freeze the construction work at Gilo. | Israeli media reported earlier that the government had rejected a request from Washington to freeze the construction work at Gilo. |
| US President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, is said to have made the request to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a meeting in London on Monday. | |
| Mr Netanyahu replied that the project did not require government approval and that Gilo was "an integral part of Jerusalem", according to Israel Army Radio. | Mr Netanyahu replied that the project did not require government approval and that Gilo was "an integral part of Jerusalem", according to Israel Army Radio. |
| Netanyahu is showing again that he is spoiling any chance to start negotiations by continuing to create new provocations in Jerusalem Hagit IfranDirector, Peace Now | |
| His spokesman, Mark Regev, declined to comment on the reports, but repeated Israel's refusal to include areas annexed to Jerusalem as part of any accommodation of Mr Obama's call for "restraint" in settlement construction. | |
| "Prime Minister Netanyahu... is willing to adopt the policy of the greatest possible restraint concerning growth in the West Bank, but this applies to the West Bank," he told the Reuters news agency. "Jerusalem is Israel's capital and will remain as such." | |
| The Obama administration has pressed for a resumption of peace talks, which were suspended nearly a year ago, but the Palestinian Authority has demanded that all settlement construction is halted before it will again attend. | |
| The Peace Now movement, which opposes Jewish settlement activity, said Mr Netanyahu was "showing again that he is spoiling any chance to start negotiations by continuing to create new provocations in Jerusalem". | |
| "This development is intended to torpedo progress that is taking place between US and Palestinians and Israelis on renewing the talks," Hagit Ifran, the organisation's director, said in a statement. | |
| Nearly 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built on occupied territory in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. |