Saudi Arabia has strongly criticized Israel’s plan to build over 3,000 homes in the occupied West Bank, calling it a provocative move that obstructs the long-standing process of establishing an independent Palestinian state. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said such illegal actions threaten the peace process and the two-state solution. According to Peace Now, around 700,000 Jews live in 160 settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, lands Palestinians hope to use for a future sovereign state.