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The Israeli cabinet has approved the building of hundreds of new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, a day after five members of a settlement family were killed.
The Israeli prime minister's office said the approval was a stern political message to Palestinians following the incident in a remote settlement over the weekend.
A statement from Binyamin Netanyahu's office said the ministerial team on settlements decided on Saturday night to approve the construction of several hundred units at Gush Etzion, Maale Adumim, Ariel and Kyriat Sefer.
According to The Associated Press, the prime minister's office said in a text message to reporters that the construction will be in major settlement blocs that Israel expects to hold on to in any final 'peace deal'.
Netanyahu is expected to deliver a major policy speech soon, possibly proposing a Palestinian state within temporary borders as a way out of a longstanding negotiations impasse. But the Palestinians vehemently oppose such proposal, as it falls short of a contiguous Palestine state.
The attack and housing approval both come at a delicate time, with pressure building on Israel to launch a new 'peace initiative' and the Palestinians pushing for international recognition of an independent state – with or without a peace deal.
PHOTO CAPTION
A general view shows the Jewish settlement of Itamar behind the West Bank village of Awarta.
Al-Jazeera
