Israel has approved the construction of 277 new housing units in a Jewish settlement located deep in the occupied West Bank. Israel’s Defense Ministry said Monday that Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved the new housing in the Ariel settlement. It said Israel would reserve at least 100 of those units for Israelis evacuated from Gaza […]

Israel is calling a Palestinian decision to seek statehood recognition at the United Nations “expected but regrettable.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement on Saturday that says Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has “apparently decided to avoid direct negotiations” with Israel. Earlier Saturday, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said Mr. Abbas would submit the […]

Israel’s Interior Ministry has given final approval for a plan to build 1,600 new homes for Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem and said it expects to soon approve the construction of another 2,700 houses in the city. The ministry’s spokesman said Thursday the housing plans are not politically based, but rather a reaction to recent […]

Israel’s Interior Ministry has given final approval for the construction of 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem, days after the United States said it was “deeply concerned” about Israel continuing to build in the city. A spokesman said Thursday the ministry also expects to soon approve the construction of another 2,700 houses in East Jerusalem. […]

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is accusing the Palestinian Authority of planning unprecedented “bloodshed” next month, to coincide with its diplomatic bid to gain U.N. membership for an independent Palestine. In comments to reporters Sunday, Lieberman said the government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is organizing marches in which thousands of people will try to […]

Israel’s air force has carried out strikes against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. The attack, late Thursday, came in retaliation for a Palestinian rocket attack on southern Israel earlier in the day. No casualties or damages were reported in either attack.

U.S. and Israeli officials say their two countries are working to revive peace negotiations with the Palestinians in a last-minute attempt to break the impasse in talks and avoid a diplomatic showdown at the United Nations next month. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Tuesday the United States is “working hard with both parties to […]