Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, said on Thursday that a plan to significantly expand a settlement near occupied East Jerusalem had won approval. But a procedural step remained.

Standing at the site of the planned settlement in Maale Adumim on Thursday, Smotrich, a settler himself, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump had agreed to the revival of the E1 development, though there was no immediate confirmation from either.

The largely symbolic move has more to do with politics than supporting Palestinians’ right to self-determination.

Bezalel Smotrich said the approval of a construction plan “finally buries the idea” of statehood as countries including France and the U.K. prepare to recognize Palestine.

There's hope that Australia's move to recognise a Palestinian state next month will bring change to a region marked by conflict.

The United Kingdom plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel commits to peace in the Gaza Strip and to stopping the annexation of the West Bank.

After decades of inaction and frozen negotiations, the issue of an independent Palestinian state living in peace with Israel was back in the spotlight at a high-level U.N. conference — and France and Saudi Arabia who spearheaded the effort are determined to keep up the momentum.

MAALE ADUMIM, West Bank, (Reuters) -Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said work would start on a long-delayed settlement that would divide the West Bank and cut if off from East Jerusalem,