Germany has censured Israel's plans to construct more illegal settler units in the occupied West Bank as violating international law.

The German Foreign Ministry, in a statement released on Tuesday, said Israel’s plans to build more than 1,000 new housing units on Palestinian territories scuttle the chances for the resumption of the Palestinian-Israeli talks and a possible deal between the two sides.

“The construction of settlements in occupied territories violates international law. This also hinders efforts to revive the peace process and threatens the basis of a two-state solution,” the statement read.

It added, “Precisely now both sides are urgently called to build trust and refrain from unilateral and provocative actions. We warn that such steps would hamper chances for the resumption of peace negotiations.”

Israeli settlement watchdog group Peace Now reported on July 23 that the Israeli military approved 541 new housing units, retroactively legalized 228 existing housing units, and approved infrastructure for a plan that includes 296 housing units in the occupied West Bank the previous day.

There are reports that the military also approved the construction of several industrial and non-industrial structures in the occupied lands.

More than half a million Israelis live in over 120 settlements built since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank in 1967.