Israel has planned to construct more houses in East al-Quds (Jerusalem), as the longtime illegal settlement activities across the Palestinian land increase.

Israeli officials said on Monday that a committee was going to discuss plans for another 948 homes in Gilo, a settlement area in East al-Quds, AFP reported.

The move comes as the United Nations and the European Union condemn the Israeli settlements as illegal under the international law, which bans the construction of units on occupied territories.

Early in March, Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics said that the illegal settlement construction in the occupied West bank has climbed sharply in the past several months.

The data, released by the bureau on March 5, indicates that the Israeli regime started over 114 settlement units during the 10-month construction freeze Tel Aviv announced in November 2009.

Israel’s insistence to resume its West Bank settlement construction projects — deemed by the international community as illegal — prompted Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiators to walk out on a new round of US-sponsored direct talks.

Palestinians have repeatedly voiced concern over efforts by the Israeli regime to wipe out the Islamic and Palestinian identity of the occupied territories, East al-Quds (Jerusalem) in particular, to effectively render the establishment of a future Palestinian state unfeasible.

Israel occupied the Palestinian lands after the Six-Day War in 1967, and has ever since expanded its illegal settlements with utter disregard for the international condemnation.

(Press TV)