Israeli officials have confirmed previously reported plans to expand settlements even further, saying the official announcement will come next week, after the release of more Palestinian detainees.
The announcement will be for 1,400 more units, with 600 if East Jerusalem and 800 in the rest of the occupied West Bank, all in areas the Israeli government plans to keep in an eventual Palestinian statehood deal.
Israel had agreed to release a number of Palestinian detainees for a one-off expansion of settlements as part of the peace talk deal, but then put the detainee releases into several stages and has followed each with another settlement expansion.
The Obama Administration had warned Israel not to do the same thing time around, but all indications are that the expansions will continue apace, with the Netanyahu government arguing its the only way to keep the government’s far-right members placated about talks they oppose to begin with.
