Israeli government is to significantly enlarge the settlement in the West Bank, the anti-settlement group Israeli left-wing organization Peace Now said on Monday.

The plan, formulated by Israeli Construction and Housing Ministry officials over the past few years, is to increase more than 73,300 new housing units in Jewish settlements on the Palestinian side of the security barrier, said a report of Peace Now.

According to the report, at least 15,000 housing units have already been approved, 8,950 of which have been built, while approval is pending for a further 58,000 units.

If all of the units are built, it would mean that some settlements, including the two largest Ariel and Ma'aleh Adumim, would double in size, says the report.

The plan has gained support from the right-wing parties. Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud party promised that a Likud government would not build new settlements, but would allow natural growth in existing ones.

A new right-wing government presents the danger of "expanding settlement growth at a rapid pace... with the clear intention of destroying the possibility of a two-state solution," the Peace Nowreport warned.

The settlement expansion has caused contentions for Israel not only with Palestinians, but also with the international community, in particular the US government.

The Barack Obama administration is expected to impose heavy pressure on the new Israeli government to freeze all settlement construction.