Israel approves construction of almost 2,000 new West Bank settler homes – NGO

Israel on Wednesday approved construction of 1,958 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank, AFP reported, citing Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now. It was slightly fewer than the 2,500 for which Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said last week he intended to seek approval. Lieberman had expected that the regional planning board – the High Planning Council in Judea and Samaria – would designate 1,400 of the housing units for immediate construction. Some 500,000 Israelis live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Palestinians want the West Bank for their future state.