The Israeli government has approved plans to build nearly 5,300 new homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank, a monitoring group said Thursday, the latest in a campaign to accelerate settlement expansion, aimed at cementing Israeli control over the territory and preventing the establishment of a future Palestinian state.Video above: Fires have become the most visible sign of the conflict heating up on the Lebanon-Israel borderWord of the decision emerged as diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the nine-month war in Gaza appeared to be stirring back to life after a weekslong hiatus. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had decided to send negotiators to resume negotiations. A day earlier, the militant Hamas group handed mediators its latest response to a U.S.-backed proposal for a deal.Fighting intensified between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, with the militant group saying Thursday it fired more than 200 rockets and exploding drones into northern …
![Icy Crossroads? Comparing American and Canadian security strategies in the Arctic Icy Crossroads? Comparing American and Canadian security strategies in the Arctic](https://img.youtube.com/vi/_UAkvA_mUUM/hqdefault.jpg)
Icy Crossroads? Comparing American and Canadian security strategies in the Arctic
The government is taking a puzzling approach to newspaper subscriptions: Peter Menzies in the Globe and Mail
Israel approves plans for nearly 5,300 new homes in West Bank [Video]
Categories
![The hidden world of organized crime in Canada: Todd Hataley and Alexander Dalziel The hidden world of organized crime in Canada: Todd Hataley and Alexander Dalziel](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XuUTiYMyo1k/hqdefault.jpg)
The hidden world of organized crime in Canada: Todd Hataley and Alexander Dalziel
Israeli protests continue over hostages in Gaza: Casey Babb on BBC