News In Brief

Israel plans new housing for West Bank refugees

The Israeli government unveiled a $1.5 billion plan Monday to move thousands of Palestinians out of refugee camps on the occupied West Bank, which it regards as a hotbed of unrest, into new housing.

The project, still to be approved by the government, resulted from more than a year's work by a ministerial committee. A government spokesman claimed the plan's motivation was humanitarian and that it would help some of the 250,000 Palestinians living in refugee camps under Israeli control, many of whom lack running water. Most of the money for the six-year project would come from abroad.