Netanyahu vows 5,200 new housing units in E. Jerusalem

JERUSALEM

Israeli prime minister on Thursday revealed his plan to construct some 5,200 more settlement units in the occupied East Jerusalem.

Quoting Benjamin Netanyahu, Jerusalem Post reported that 2,200 settlement units will be constructed in Har Homa settlement, while another 3,000 settlement units will be constructed in Givat Hamatos settlement.

Netanyahu noted that Har Homa settlement was built when he became prime minister for the first time in 1997 and currently there are some 40,000 Israelis settlers.

Netanyahu's announcement came ahead of the Israel’s third round of elections slated for March 2.

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

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara