Jordan condemns Israel's move to expand settlements

Jordan's Minister of State for Media Affairs Samih Maaytah slammed Israel's plan to expand settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, the state-run Petra news agency reported. Building more settlements was a violation of the basic rights of the Palestinians and was considered a hostile measure towards the peace process and the international community, which believed that settlements were illegal and illegitimate, said the minister. Israel's insistence to expand settlements reflected its determination to kill the idea of an independent Palestinian state, said Maaytah, adding that this approach contradicted with the idea of peace and the international agreements in this regard. This week, Israel approved plans for building 1,500 new homes at Ramat Shlomo in East Jerusalem. It also granted approval for further 2,000 homes.