Israel to Build 1000 new settling units in Bethlehem

Minister of Housing and Construction, Uri Ariel, declared on Thursday plans to build thousand new housing units in Gush Etzion settlement bloc in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. The construction plan was approved after a meeting between the Israeli Housing and War Ministers and head of the Regional Council of Gush Etzion. Of the 1000 housing units, 650 are existing apartments that have now been approved by War Minister Moshe Ya'alon, Hebrew sources said. Meanwhile, Yediot Ahronot Hebrew newspaper revealed on Wednesday Israeli plans to build 675 new housing units in the settlement of Itamar built on Beit Furik and Awarta villages in Nablus. According to the plan, the settlement will be doubled 100%, the newspaper pointed. "Netanyahu has decided to change the rules and ruin any chance of reviving talks. The government has become addicted to the construction of settlements that will not remain in Israel under any agreement. It will fall to Israel's citizens to pay the diplomatic and financial cost," the newspaper quoted the Israeli Peace Now organization as saying commenting on the Israeli new settlement plan.