British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on Tuesday he deplored Israel's decision to approve construction of 50 new buildings at a West Bank settlement in defiance of a U.S. call for a settlement freeze.

"Settlements are illegal under international law and they are a major blockage to peace in the Middle East on the basis of a two-state solution," Miliband told parliament.

"There are reports coming through of the Israeli Ministry of Defence yesterday granting permission for 50 new housing units at the Adam settlement which is something that we completely deplore," he said.

"This is the worst possible time for new settlements to be initiated or for construction to be started," he said. "We are at an absolutely vital moment as the new American administration comes to a decision about how it will prosecute its commitment to a two-state solution."

Even, news of the planned building work emerged hours before Defence Minister Ehud Barak left for the United States for talks with Washington over settlements.

Israel again allowed the construction of 1,450 apartments in the occupied West Bank.

U.S. President Barack Obama has pressed Israel to end settlement expansion as part of a bid to revive peace talks with the Palestinians.

But, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to end Jewish settlements.

World Court ruled Jewish settlements were illegal.

The Group of Eight leading powers and the Quartet of Middle East peace brokers, meeting in Trieste, northern Italy, last week, both called for a total freeze on construction in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, including on "natural growth" of existing settlements.



Agencies