British Govt slams Israel over new homes in east Jerusalem

(AFP) – 1 hour ago

LONDON — Government condemned Tuesday Israel's green light for hundreds of new housing units to be built in annexed east Jerusalem, saying it made a peace deal more difficult.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband "has been very clear that a credible deal involves Jerusalem as a shared capital," said a spokeswoman, after Israel's interior ministry approved the construction of 900 new units in Gilo.

"Expanding settlements on occupied land in East Jerusalem makes that deal much harder. So this decision is wrong and we oppose it," added the Foreign Office spokeswoman.

Gilo is one of a dozen Israeli settlements in mostly Arab east Jerusalem. The Israeli interior ministry said the project still faced review.

But the approval is likely to further hamper the United States' so-far futile efforts to get Israelis and Palestinians back to the peace table, amid deep disagreements over the thorny issue of settlements.

The Palestinians demand that Israel freeze all settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, including in annexed east Jerusalem, before resuming talks.

Israel has so far offered only a temporary and limited ease in building.

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