FILE PHOTO - U.S. President Donald Trump (R) escorts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into the White House in Washington, U.S., February 15, 2017.REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will continue to talk to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Israeli settlement activity, the White House said on Monday following reports that Israel plans to build 15,000 new settlement homes in East Jerusalem.

“I’m sure that we’ll continue to have conversations with the prime minister and ... that’ll be something that the president will continue to discuss,” White House spokesman Sean Spicer told a news briefing after being asked if Netanyahu was snubbing the U.S. president.

Trump, who has vowed to work for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, told Netanyahu during a news conference in February that he would like to see Israel “hold back on settlements for a little bit.”