RAMALLAH, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) condemned on Wednesday the Israeli government's decision to build 176 new more housing units in the Israeli settlements in east Jerusalem.
Nabil Abu Rudeina, spokesman of the PNA presidency said in an official statement that the Palestinians call on the United States administration to intervene in order to stop the decision.
"Basically, all settlement activities in the Palestinian territories are illegal, in accordance to the United Nations Security Council resolution 2334," said Abu Rudeina, in a statement published in the official (WAFA) news agency.
He stressed that "making a just and a comprehensive peace needs an establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the borders of 1967."
Abu Rudeina also called on the administration of President Donald Trump "to immediately intervene to rescue the efforts it exerts to revive the peace process in the Middle East."
Earlier, the Israeli Haaretz Daily reported that the planning and construction committee that belongs to the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem agreed on licensing the construction of the 176 units in Jabel Mukaber in the city.
Last week, Israel announced that it intends to construct hundreds of housing units in the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The Palestinians and the European Union opposed the plan.
Israeli settlement expansion is one of the stickiest issues, which was the main reason behind halting the direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The direct peace talks, sponsored by the United States, had stopped in April 2014 after it went on for nine months without achieving any progress due to differences between the two sides on settlement expansion.
