The Peace Now settler watchdog said yesterday that Israel is preparing for a huge expansion of the Itamar settlement in the northern West Bank.

An urban settlement in an area Israel annexed to Jerusalem after capturing it in the 1967 Middle East war  (Photo: Reuters)

When the plan is approved, Itamar will expand five-fold from 137 homes to 675. Peace Now spokesman Lior Amihai said a defence ministry committee was to convene to start preparing plans. However, the defence ministry said the meeting will focus on plans for new construction which have not yet been approved and buildings already in place. Observers suggested the plans to enlarge the settlement could be linked to Palestinian‘s securing membership at the United Nations

Pham Huan, VOV correspondent in Egypt