Jerusalem, Mar 6 (IANS): Israel's Supreme Planning Council approved on Wednesday the construction of 3,426 new housing units in settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, authorities said.

The houses are located in the settlements of Efrat, Ma'aleh Adumim and Kedar, according to a statement released on behalf of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right settler leader who is responsible for the construction in the settlements in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, Xinhua news agency reported.

Since last March, Israel has approved 18,515 housing units in the settlements, Smotrich said in the statement.

He added that the government "has made huge investments in the development of transportation infrastructure, employment and quality of life" in the settlements.

The settlements are considered by the majority of the international community as unlawful and a major hurdle to peace, as they are located in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories where the Palestinians wish to build their future state.