Israel advances plans for 1,000 West Bank settlement homes

An Israeli watchdog group says the government has advanced plans to build over 1,000 new homes in West Bank settlements.

Peace Now said defense officials approved the plans Wednesday. It says nearly 400 homes received final approval for construction to begin, while the rest require further bureaucratic approvals.

Some 600,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem — territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war and claimed by the Palestinians for a future state.

Israel’s Civil Administration, the defense body that approves such construction, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal and an impediment to peace.

Israel says the fate of the settlements must be resolved in peace negotiations with the Palestinians.