The Palestinian authorities on Sunday condemned an Israeli recommendation to expand one of the largest Israeli settlement in the West Bank.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for the Palestinian Presidency, said in a statement that the Palestinian National Authority condemns the Israeli interior ministry recommendation to annex about 1,200 hectares into Maale Adumim settlement.

Earlier in the day, Israeli army radio reported that an Israeli interior ministry committee has recommended expansion of Maale Adumim, one of the largest settlements in the occupied West Bank in population and area.

"Continuing the policy of settlements expansion is an intentional destruction to the U.S. and international efforts to achieve a progress in the peace process," said Abu Rudeineh.

Settlement construction, along with the status of Jerusalem and the Palestinian refugees, is viewed as one of the main obstacles in the stalled Middle East peace process.

The Palestinian spokesman said "this policy affirms that the Israeli side is not serious to reach a just and comprehensive permanent peace agreement based on the two-state solution."

Abu Rudeineh called on the international community and the US administration "to exert pressure on the Israeli government to stop the policy of imposing new facts on the ground."

The Israeli committee said in its recommendation that the small settlement of Qedar should be integrated into the giant one of Maale Adumim, along with the lands that lie between the two.