Israel Signs Off on Disputed West Bank Settlement Expansion

Israel approved a controversial project to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank, billed as dashing hopes of Palestinian statehood, a move condemned by several international governments.

A planning committee signed off Wednesday on the construction of 3,400 homes in a wedge of land east of Jerusalem known as E1. This will effectively bisect the West Bank by connecting the area to the large nearby settlement of Ma'ale Adumim.