Israel approves construction of 18 new settlement units in East Jerusalem

The Construction and Organisation Committee of the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem approved on Wednesday the construction of 18 settlement units in Al-Mukaber Mountain, southern East Jerusalem, Anadolu reported.

The Israeli municipality reportedly said that the construction plan was introduced by right-wing settler organisation Elad as the group owns a building in the area. The 18 units are in addition to the building.

Elad is an organisation working towards a goal of ensuring a Jewish majority in Jerusalem. Often the group buys Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem and rents them to Jewish families as part of these efforts.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reported that the Israeli authorities approved the construction of over 12,600 settlement units in East Jerusalem during 2015.

The continuing construction of settlement units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem contributed heavily to the suspension of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in April 2014.