Peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian officials will resume on August 14 in Jerusalem, the U.S. State Department confirmed on Thursday.
The talks will be followed by a meeting in Jericho, according to Haaretz. Negotiations between the two countries were renewed last month in Washington after three years of hostility.
However, Saeb Erekat, Palestine’s chief negotiator, said Israel’s plan to build a large number of new homes in east Jerusalem will hurt negotiations, according to Bloomberg.
“Some people in Israel continue to believe that the endgame for negotiations should not be peace, but rather, further colonization,” he said in an emailed statement. “We call upon all parties that had vigorously advocated for the resumption of negotiations to do whatever is needed to block and to punish the latest decisions made by the Israeli government and the Occupation Municipality in Jerusalem.”
Palestinians want to build their capital in east Jerusalem and oppose further Israeli colonization in this section of the city.
Israel captured Jerusalem in 1967 and insists that it remain its own undivided capital.
The construction planned for east Jerusalem was approved years ago and is now being prepared for after Israeli courts dismissed Palestinian legal challenges.
Israel has also refused to sign additional agreements with the European Union, which is expected to put limitations on settlements such as the one planned in east Jerusalem, according to Y Net News.
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