The third prisoner release took place early Tuesday, and in the prelude Mr. Netanyahu came under intense international pressure not to upset the peace talks by making another simultaneous settlement announcement. But Mr. Netanyahu, apparently angered by a string of attacks on Israelis in the past few weeks and a lack of any condemnation of them by Palestinian leaders, decided to go ahead. A week ago, Israeli officials said that an announcement of new settlement building could be expected around the time of the prisoner release, without specifying exactly when.
But Israel has since backed off. “We will respect John Kerry and not act to spite him,” an Israeli official told The New York Times, explaining that there was an “understanding” between Netanyahu and the housing ministry that there would be no announcement until after Kerry’s departure. “A day here or there makes no difference,” the official said.
Settlement expansions are far from the only major sticking point in negotiations, which are intended to end in April. The borders of a future Palestinian state, the status of Jerusalem, and what will happen to Palestinian refugees all remain unaddressed, according to Agence-France Presse.