Photo: AFP

(VOVworld)- Israel has approved a plan to build 381 houses in Givat Zeev in East Jerusalem, which was illegally occupied after the 1967 war. This is the third time the Israeli government has approved the construction of more houses since December 2013. On January 6, Israel announced a plan to build 270 houses in the West Bank and on January 10, it approved 1,800 more houses in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas accused Israel of using negotiations as a cover for expanding settlements in the West Bank despite international criticism. Meanwhile, the UK, France, Italy, and Spain have all summoned their Israeli ambassadors to protest the plan.