Moratorium on settlement building in West Bank ends

The 10-month term of Israeli moratorium on settlement building in the West Bank expired at midnight Sunday. 

Israeli settlers said today that they would begin building new Jewish homes after midnight.

The U.S., which opposes settlement construction and has called on Israel to extend the moratorium, expressed hope that peace talks between Israel and Palestine would not collapse. State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley said in a statement Sunday evening: "The policy of the Unites States on settlement construction has not changed. We remain in close touch with both parties and will be meeting with them again in the coming days."

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to defuse growing tensions by calling on settler groups to "show restraint and responsibility" as the moratorium expired.