Israel establishes 44th settlement

Israel established the 44th Jewish settlement Sunday in the occupied West Bank of the Jordan River. The first 10 families took up residence at the village of Tel Hadasha, about three miles northwest of Jerusalem. Some 50 families are expected to join the outpost as soon as housing is available, a spokesman for the Gush Emunim ultranationalist settler movement said. He said the new village was built on land purchased by Jews more than 100 years ago.

The move was expected to upset further the autonomy negotiations suspended by Egypt last Thursday.