Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned on Thursday new settlement building in the Zionist-occupied West Bank and East Al-Quds.

Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned on Thursday new settlement building in the Zionist-occupied West Bank and East Al-Quds.

“We fiercely condemn Israel's confirmation of 153 new housing constructions in several illegal settlements in West Bank and East Jerusalem, which Israel has been occupying since 1967," the ministry said in a statement issued Thursday.

“Israel’s steps against the international law harm efforts for permanent peace. These steps are also unacceptable,” it added.

Under international law, building of Zionist settlements in the occupied territories is illegal.

Around 500,000 settlers currently live in more than 100 communities built since the Zionist entity occupied the West Bank and East al-Quds 1967.

The Palestinians want these areas and the Gaza Strip to form a future Palestinian state.