Israel Begins West Bank Construction

JERUSALEM (AP) - The first stages of construction work are under way to connect two West Bank settlements by building housing for 480 Jewish families, an Israeli official said Wednesday.

The settlement linking the Elkana and Shaarei Tikva settlements near Tel Aviv will cover about 90 acres, making it among the largest in the northern West Bank region, said Marcel Ganz, mayor of the Elkana Council, which is responsible for the development.

Ganz said the construction was approved by the Israeli government more than two years ago and ground preparations are well under way. Building is to start in a few months and families could begin moving in within a year, he said.

About 700 Jewish families now live in Elkana and Shaarei Tikva settlements. Throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip (news - web sites), about 200,000 Jews live in 150 settlements among 3 million Palestinians.

The settlement issue is one of the main stumbling blocks in the search for a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace. The Palestinians demand removal of settlements from West Bank land they consider part of any future state.