Israel's far-right finance minister announced approval of the construction of a contentious settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that he says "buries the idea of a Palestinian state."

This comes after Smotrich announced his approval for settlements in the E1 area. Germany on Friday called on the Israeli government to stop settlement construction in the West Bank after Israel's far-right finance minister said work would start on a plan for thousands of home that would divide the Palestinian territory.

Israel is moving forward with plans to expand settlements in the West Bank, with a government minister championing the initiative as a “final nail in the coffin” for a sovereign Palestinian state. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the government’s endorsement of the “E1 settlement plan” during a ceremony at the Maale Adumim settlement in the