Israel has approved plans for 900 housing units to be built at Gilo, on land captured in 1967, which is today part of the municipality of Jerusalem. A White House spokesperson in the US and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed dismay, saying the move would not help peace talks in the Middle East. The new housing is illegal under international law as widely interpreted, although Israel disputes this. Aljazeera reports that US negotiator George Mitchell asked Israel Monday 16 November not to approv the plans. . The plans are now subject to public comment.

Links to other sites: Aljazeera, BBC, New York Times