New W. Bank projects frozen: Israeli official

JERUSALEM: Israel has quietly stopped approving new building projects in the West Bank while publicly still refusing US demands for an official settlement freeze, government officials said yesterday.

President Barack Obama's administration has been prodding Israel to shelve all settlement construction on land Palestinians want for a future state, a demand Israel has said it cannot accept. The issue has grown into a rare public disagreement between the two close allies.

However, several government officials said yesterday that Israel has decided to temporarily stop green-lighting new projects because of the international pressure.