Israel announced Sunday that it will open tenders for the construction of 1,355 new homes in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

- Strengthening and expanding Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria is a necessary and very important thing in the vision of the Zionist enterprise - Israeli Housing Minister Zeev Elkin said in a statement on the Walla News website.

- After a long period of stagnation in construction in Judea and Samaria, I welcome the marketing of over 1,000 housing units. I will continue to maintain Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria - he added.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Israel's decision in a written statement.

- Israel openly insists on building colonial settlements and implementing occupation projects on Palestinian lands, ignoring the stance of the international community and the US on this issue - it said.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is regarded as "occupied territory" under international law, making all Jewish settlements there illegal.​​​​​​​