Plans of building around 700 new apartments in three Jewish settlements in east Jerusalem has been approved by Israeli Housing Ministry.This is a step taken by Israel to expand its settlement.

East Jerusalem was not included in the Ten-month suspension plans of settlements announced recently.

Israel’s move of expansion has been highly condemned by the Palestinian officials , as they say that it was not compatible with the peace process efforts planned.

The chief Palestinian negotiator,Saeb Erakat said that “The Palestinian Authority strongly condemns the new decision to build in east Jerusalem and wonders whether there is a freeze of settlement activity or an intensification of it,”

“The American administration needs to realize that the policies of the Israeli government embody settlements and not peace and that their choice is settlements and not peace.

The US officials have also condemned this act of Israel on breaking the peace efforts that were started recently.

‘Approval of new apartments in east Jerusalem was another blow to peace efforts’, US official said, while describing the tense situation in Palestine.