Israel to approve illegal settler homes

Israel is set to approve construction of illegal Jewish settler homes in a flashpoint area of the West Bank city of al-Khalil for the first time since 2002, the anti-occupation group Peace Now said on Tuesday.

It condemned what it called an attempt to "squeeze in" the approvals before next week’s US presidential election when Donald Trump faces Democratic challenger Joseph Biden, who views such settlements as illegal. Peace Now, which tracks settlement construction in the occupied territory, said Israeli military authorities had given the green light to the construction of 31 settler housing units "in the heart of Hebron". Al-Khalil is considered a West Bank powder-keg where around 800 Jewish settlers live under hefty Israeli army security, surrounded by around 200,000 Palestinians.