Peace Now movement said the construction of 250 homes at Ofra and 22 at Karnei Shomron was approved by the Israeli military administration charged with the settlements. An Israeli war ministry official said on condition of anonymity that the planned building work was announced last October. Last December, Israel was to release its plan of building about 1,400 houses after freed 26 Palestinian prisoners, but this plan was postponed right before the visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry to Middle East.