On Tuesday PLO official Saeb Erekat said the PLO would ask the UN Security Council for a censure which would condemn the Israeli settlements, after Israel announced the legalization of three more settler outposts.

In an interview with Palestinian radio, Erekat urged Israel to choose between the peace process and the settlements, which contributed to the stalling of peace talks in 2010. A previous censure was requested in 2011, with fourteen of the 15 countries voting in favor of the resolution, which was vetoed by the US. On Wednesday, the US said it was concerned by the increased settlement activity, saying, “We don’t think this is helpful to the process. We don’t accept the legitimacy of continued settlement activity.”

The land on which the settlements are built is considered by Israel to be “Israeli-owned land”. Netanyahu said on Tuesday, “The panel decided to formalize the status of the three communities … which were established in the 1990s following the decisions of past governments.”