Israel announces 1,500 settler homes in East Jerusalem The new houses will be built in Ramat Shlomo, a settlement mainly occupied by ultra-orthodox Jews, the Israeli interior ministry said. The go-ahead has also been given for a proposed national park near Hebrew University's campus on Mount Scopus, in a move opponents say would block the expansion of two nearby Palestinian neighbourhoods. The announcements were apparently calculated to blunt Right-wing criticism of the latest batch of pre-arranged prisoners releases but drew an angry reaction from Palestinians, who see the expansion of Israeli settlements as an obstacle to their hopes of statehood. "This policy is destructive for the peace process," said Nabil Abu Rdeineh, a spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, agreed to free 104 long-term convicts - most of them jailed for the murder of Israelis before the 1993 Oslo peace accords - as part of a deal for resuming long-stalled peace talks, despite fierce opposition from victims' groups and Right-wing members of his coalition. Palestinian prisoner Najeh Meqbel (R) is welcomed by his mother and family members after his release (EPA) The release of first batch of prisoners in August was preceded by an announcement of around 1,000 homes in another East Jerusalem, provoking Palestinian accusations that Israel was trying to sabotage the talks. Danny Danon, Israel's Right-wing deputy defence minister, criticised the nine-month timeline drawn up for the negotiations by John Kerry, the US secretary of state. "If I could speak to President Obama today, I would say let's change the calendar," Mr Danon told journalists in Jerusalem. In May 2014.... he wants to finish the negotiations with the Palestinians, but to finish the conflict with the Palestinians by May 2014 is wishful thinking,. I would say, let's finish with the threat coming from Iran by May 2014, and then go to the negotiation table.with the Palestinians.