US concerned about Israel's plan to build more settler homes

The Obama administration on Tuesday expressed "deep concern" about Israel's plan to build over 20,000 new housing units in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, just as the Palestinians threatened to end the ongoing peace talks with Israel over its latest move. "We are deeply concerned by this these latest reports that over 20,000 additional units are in the early planning stages," State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said at a regular press briefing. "We were surprised by these announcements and are currently seeking further explanation from the government of Israel," she added. Adding to the ongoing wrangling with the Palestinians over the settlement issue, one that had scuttled direct talks between the two sides three years ago, Israel's Ministry of Housing and Construction published tenders on Oct. 24 and Oct. 30 for building 19,786 new settler homes in the West Bank and 4,000 in East Jerusalem, according to Peace Now, a settlement watchdog. In response, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned on Tuesday that he would declare the peace process over unless Israel canceled the construction plan. "Our position on settlements is quite clear," Psaki said. "We do not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement activity. We' ve called on both sides to take steps to create a positive atmosphere for the negotiations." The negotiations were restarted in late July under the auspices of the Obama administration, with Washington and the two sides seeking to achieve a final-status agreement within nine months. However, the Israelis and Palestinians have started to trade blame for the moribund peace process, prompting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to travel again to the region last week, his eighth in 10 months, to discuss the path forward.