Egypt condemned the approval by the Israeli occupation authorities of the decision to build 780 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank, and considered it a new violation of international legitimacy decisions.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ambassador Ahmed Hafez, reiterated in a statement on Monday, his country's total rejection of the continuation of settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and the importance of a complete cessation of them.

About 650,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements built on Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Despite the issuance of a set of international resolutions against the settlement project, and demands to dismantle settlements and halt their expansion projects, the occupation authorities refuse to do so.