On Wednesday, Israel approved a plan to build 3,400 housing units in the occupied West Bank, an initiative criticized for fragmenting Palestinian territory and blocking the possibility of a Palestinian state with territorial continuity

A settlement project in the E1 area east of Jerusalem has been approved by Israel after two decades of delays, despite international pressure. Human rights organizations and Palestinians say the step destroys the chances for a viable Palestinian state. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the approval is a reaction to intentions to recognize a Palestinian state by some Western countries, stressing that every settlement is an obstacle to the idea.