By Wyre Davis

BBC News, Jerusalem



Israeli settlements are one of the thorniest issues between the two sides

Palestinian leaders have criticised Israeli plans to build more than 1,000 new Jewish homes on occupied land in East Jerusalem.

The units, which have been approved by municipal planners, are in direct contravention of international law and the current peace process, they say.

Israel says the plans represent the "natural growth" of existing communities.

But there is growing international pressure to stop the expansion.

At the US-sponsored Annapolis peace talks, at the end of 2007, demands were reiterated for Israel to stop all building and settlement expansion in occupied Palestinian areas.

But since then almost 8,000 new Jewish homes have been built or approved in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas internationally recognised as Palestinian.

The latest approval, for more than one thousand units to be built near the settlement of Ramat Shlomo in an occupied area of East Jerusalem, has been criticised by Palestinian leaders as illegal.

They say it proves that Israel is racing to establish more "facts on the ground", which would be difficult to remove in the event of a future peace agreement.

The expansion of settlements in occupied land is one of the thorniest issues between the two sides and Israel is coming under increasing pressure, even from the United States, to stop the building programmes.



