Israel approves 200 new homes in Palestinian-claimed East Jerusalem
Plan for 200 Jewish houses in East Jerusalem reinforces belief that area - which Palestinians claims as their capital - will stay part of Israel
Israeli authorities have given preliminary approval to build 200 homes in a Jewish area of East Jerusalem, a move that threatens to push Israelis and Palestinians deeper into conflict after weeks of unrest over the city's holiest sites.
The announcement on Wednesday came hours before US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in neighbouring Jordan on a mission aimed in part at restoring calm. A State Department spokeswoman said Washington was "deeply concerned" by the decision.
Much of the recent violence has stemmed from tensions surrounding Jerusalem's hilltop complex that is revered by Muslims and Jews. The collapse of US-brokered peace talks, Israel's war last summer in the Gaza Strip against Islamic militant group Hamas, and continued Israeli settlement building in East Jerusalem have added to the distrust.
Brachie Sprung, a spokeswoman in the mayor's office, said city officials had approved the building of 200 homes in the Ramot area. Sprung said it was just a preliminary stage of the planning process - meaning actual construction would be years away.
She also said city officials approved an additional 174 homes in an Arab neighbourhood.
To Israelis, the announcement was relatively harmless. Ramot is already home to about 70,000 people, and most Israelis assume the area will remain part of Israel under any future peace agreement.
In the current tense climate, however, any Israeli construction for Jewish areas of East Jerusalem is potentially explosive.