Barak says West Bank settlement deal has ’50-50′ chance

It is estimated that about 2,000 housing units in the West Bank already have approval and settler leaders say they plan to resume construction as soon as possible.

“Our policy now is to resume a natural pace of building,” said Naftali Bennett, director general of the settlers’ organisation, the Yesha council.

They are backed by right-wing politicians including members of the Likud party, headed by Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Sunday, Mr Netanyahu’s office issued a statement urging settlers and their political leaders to “show restraint and responsibility today and in the future”.

One Likud MP, Danny Danon is expected to attend a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony at the settlement of Revava on Sunday.

In recent weeks, settlers there have erected new temporary homes on the hillside overlooking the Palestinian village, Deir Istiya, angering local people.

“The most crucial thing is settlements, for me and the majority of Palestinians,” says mayor of Deir Istiya, Nazmi Salman. “All Palestinians know [there will be] no peace with settlements.”

Correspondents say any resumption of construction is likely to be small in scale, as most projects will require approval from Israel’s defence ministry.

On Thursday, US President Barack Obama urged Israel to extend its moratorium, saying it had “made a difference on the ground, and improved the atmosphere for talks”.

Nearly half a million Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel’s 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. They are held to be illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.