Pakistan, June 3 -- Israel approved plans for 2,162 new settlement homes in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday. The move matters because it deepens disputes over Palestinian statehood prospects. Palestinians, who seek the territory for a future state, are expected to be most affected.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the expansion after a planning committee approved the new housing units. The plan includes 1,006 homes near Jerusalem, 922 near Nablus, and 234 near Hebron. Smotrich said the construction would strengthen Israel's presence and security in the territory. However, he did not provide a timeline for when building would begin.

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