Israel gave preliminary approval on Wednesday to a plan to build 600 new homes in a settlement deep inside the West Bank, a move that drew rebukes from the United Nations and Palestinians. Israeli officials tried to play down the decision about building in Shiloh, saying that construction was years away at best. But Yariv Oppenheimer, director of Peace Now, called it the biggest settlement construction plan in the West Bank since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office three years ago. Mark Toner, a spokesman for the United States State Department, declined to comment about the announcement but said the administration’s stance on settlement activity was clear. "We don’t believe it’s in any way constructive to getting both sides back to the negotiating table,” he said.
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