Summary
Israel's new hard-right defense minister Sunday ordered officials to start planning a new Jewish settlement in the heart of the divided West Bank city of Hebron.
The city is holy to both Muslims and Jews and is a flashpoint for clashes between Palestinians and Israeli settlers.
About 800 Israeli settlers live in the ancient city under heavy military protection, amid around 200,000 Palestinians.
Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said the new project was a result of the United States' decision last month to no longer consider Israeli settlements illegal.
Israel's West Bank settlements are considered illegal under international law and are bitterly opposed by Palestinians.
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