Israel approved today the construction of thousands of new settlement units in the occupied West Bank.

The higher planning council, the Israeli body that approves planning and construction in West Bank settlements, approved today the construction of the 3144 new settlement units in the West Bank.

This announcement came after the decision to postpone the approval in light of the pressures exerted by the US administration on the Israeli occupation government, as Washington announced its rejection of settlement expansion in the West Bank.

The US Department of State yesterday expressed its "grave concern" over Israel’s plans to move forward with the construction of new settlements and its strong rejection of such an approach which harms the prospect of the two-state solution.

On Sunday, Israeli occupation authorities issued tenders for the construction of around 1,355 new settler homes in illegal West Bank settlements.