Palestinians vow 'unprecedented' response to settlements

The Palestinian Authority has vowed an “unprecedented” response to an Israeli announcement of new settlement building in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

“The Palestinian leadership will make an unprecedented response to this Israeli step,” spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeinah was quoted as saying by the official Wafa news agency.

Israeli Housing Minister Uri Ariel has approved the building of 1,500 settlement units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in response to the formation of a new Palestinian unity government.

“I congratulate the decision to give a proper Zionist response to the establishment of the Palestinian terror cabinet,” Ariel was quoted as saying by the Israeli Haaretz daily on Thursday.

The minister invited bids for building 400 units in the Ramat Shlomo settlement in East Jerusalem and 1,100 units in several settlements in the West Bank.

Abu Rudeinah blasted the Israeli decision.

“There will be no peace with settlements,” he said.

International law considers the West Bank and East Jerusalem occupied territories taken by Israel in 1967, viewing all Jewish settlement building as illegitimate.

Palestinian negotiators insist that Israeli settlement building must stop before the resumption of stalled peace talks with Israel.