US "dismayed" at Israel's settlement expansion

The US State Department has said that Israel's approval of a plan to expand Jewish settlement construction in Jerusalem is "dismaying."

Early on Tuesday, the Jerusalem Municipal Planning Committee approved the so-called "Gilo western slopes" construction plan. 900 housing units will be built in the form of 4 to 5 bedroom apartments under the plan in a bid to lure more Israelis to the area.

US State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said the development was dismaying, and would make it more difficult for peace efforts to succeed. Gilo, with a population of 40,000, is included within Jerusalem's municipal boundaries as demarcated by the Israeli government.

Israel claims that Gilo is one of Jerusalem's neighborhoods, while the United Nations and the Palestinians say that Gilo is a Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem.