(VOVworld) – Israel has approved plans to construct more than 550 new settler homes in east Jerusalem.

New settlement area in Givat Zeev, the West Bank, East Jerusalem (Photo: AFP)

The Jerusalem city council granted permits for the construction on Wednesday. This move is expected to exacerbate tensions and affect US-mediated peace talks between Israel and Palestine. The construction is scheduled to start within a few weeks.

Earlier, Israel announced plans to build another 1,400 settler houses in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of using the peace talks as a smokescreen for expanding its settlement areas despite criticism from the international community and the US.

Peace talks were resumed last July, with an aim of reaching an agreement within 9 months, but there has been no progress. The main reason for the deadlock is that Israel continues to build settler homes on land claimed by Palestinians.