World Bulletin / News Desk

An Israeli building committee on Sunday approved the construction of 64 settlement units in occupied East Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Local Planning and Building Committee approved the building of 64 units in the Jewish-only Ramot settlement, Israeli channel 7 reported.

The panel said that the construction has already been approved months ago, but permits were re-approved following slight planning changes.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East War. It later annexed the historic city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state in a move never recognized by the international community.

International law views the West Bank and East Jerusalem as occupied territories and considers all Jewish settlement building on the land to be illegal.

Palestinians accuse Israel of waging an aggressive campaign to "Judaize" the city with the aim of effacing its Arab and Islamic identity and ultimately driving out its Palestinian inhabitants.