The Israeli finance minister has approved the construction of a settlement that will separate East Jerusalem from the West Bank, reinforcing opposition to a Palestinian state.

Bezalel Smotrich has approved a project to build 3,401 settler homes near Jerusalem, aimed at discouraging the idea of a Palestinian state. Critics warn the move will deepen segregation in the area. Although the expansion projects have been suspended since 2012, Smotrich stressed that action on the ground will respond to those who recognize a Palestinian state. Nearly 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories annexed by Israel in 1967 but not internationally recognized.