Israel Advances Plans for Nearly 2,200 Settler Homes

Israeli authorities have advanced plans for nearly 2,200 settlement homes in the occupied West Bank, an NGO and Israeli media said.

A defence ministry committee with responsibility for such projects on Tuesday and Wednesday approved the plans, the settlement watchdog Peace Now said in a statement.

It said 1,159 housing units were given final approvals before building permits can be issued, while 1,032 were at an earlier stage.

The Times of Israel website also reported the development, saying in total 2,191 settlement homes are expected to be advanced this week.

It is the first such approvals since snap polls were called earlier this week, after the ruling right-wing government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu collapsed.

On Monday, Netanyahu agreed to dissolve parliament and call for early elections on April 9.