Breaking a promised 10-month stay on settlement construction activities in the West Bank, Israel has authorized the building of 112 new apartments in a Jewish settlement in the region.
Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday the proposed apartments in the settlement of Beitar Illit, which has a mostly Orthodox Jewish population, was needed to fill a potentially dangerous 40-yard gap between two existing buildings.
It clarified that building permits were issued under the previous government of Ehud Olmert and before the suspension of settlement was announced.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the development, which comes a day after Palestinian Authority leaders in the West Bank agreed to indirect talks with Israel, will put the talks at risk.
The announcement coincides with the visit of U.S. Vice- President Joseph Biden to the region.
Biden, who is scheduled to land later Monday, is the highest ranking U.S. official to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories since Barack Obama took office. George Mitchell, the Obama administration's special envoy to the Mideast, is also meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Jewish construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem is a particularly sore point with the Palestinians because it challenges their claims to lands they want for a future State.
All settlements in the two regions are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.