Palestine strongly condemns Israel's decision to ease process for expanding West Bank settlements

RAMALLAH/GAZA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians strongly condemned the Israeli government's decision to expedite the process for building settlements in the West Bank.

During a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, the Israeli government authorized pro-settlement Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to assume the main responsibility for settlement planning and construction in the West Bank and shortened the political approval process for settlement planning and construction that had been in place for 25 years.