11.   Israeli officials argue that settlement expansion does not change the legal status of the disputed territories.

12.   Palestinians want a halt to Jewish settlement expansion, which Mitchell recommends to occur at the same time a ceasefire goes into affect.

13.   Settlement expansion was frozen under the Labor Government.

14.   The Cabinet statement said that in ending the freeze on settlement expansion, the government would maintain some checks, including requiring full Cabinet approval for any new settlements.

15.   The Palestinians see any settlement expansion as a provocative act whereby the Israelis seize disputed land whose fate is supposed to be decided at the negotiating table.

16.   The settlement expansion, especially around east Jerusalem, continued apace under both conservative and left-leaning governments.

17.   Unpublished clauses of the Wye agreement reportedly will make settlement expansion more difficult once the accord is set in motion.

18.   Palestinian legislator Bishara Daoud said the settlement expansion and quarry plans violate Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements.

19.   Palestinians have said settlement expansion violated the peace agreements signed by Israel and would kill future negotiations.

20.   Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat raised his concerns about accelerated settlement expansion with U.S. President Bill Clinton in their meeting Tuesday at the White House.