Jordan condemns Israel for new West Bank construction

AMMAN, Jordan

Jordan's foreign minister on Thursday condemned Israel for approving new housing construction in the occupied West Bank.

"Israel's approval of the construction of 2,300 new houses is a unilateral and condemnable step,” Ayman Safadi wrote on Twitter. “The international community needs to adopt an attitude that will put pressure on Israel to end its practices that undermine peace efforts and opportunities.”

Safadi said new settlements along with demolishing Palestinians' homes increases the occupation which make comprehensive peace impossible.

About 650,000 Israeli Jews currently live on more than 100 settlements built since 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The Palestinians want these territories and the Gaza Strip for the establishment of a future Palestinian state.

International law views the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "occupied territories" and considers all Jewish settlement-building activity there as illegal.

*Writing by Burak Bir