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According to Israeli media reports, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told settler leaders yesterday that there will be no further development in West Bank settlements.

Netanyahu is said to have met with local council leaders from West Bank communities. Yediot Ahronot reports that he told them, “the settlements can no longer be developed and we must preserve that which exists.” Meanwhile, Israel Radio says that the head of the Beit El settlement, Shai Alon, complained about court orders which demand the demolition of some buildings in the settlement. Netanyahu is said to have replied, “You are concerned about the interests of your settlement, I am concerned about the interests of the state.”

Later in the day, the Yesha Council, which is the representative body of West Bank settlement communities, released a statement saying “A government that does not build loses its right to exist.” It added, “The right way to protect the settlement project is only through development and construction. The best defence is to be proactive.” Furthermore, the head of the Har Hebron settlement council, Yohai Damari said via social media, “I was present today at a meeting where the prime minister announced his intention to stop the settlement enterprise… The decision to stop the planning and construction will seriously hurt many settlements.”

In response, Netanyahu’s Likud faction issued a statement countering the reported comments. It said, “Contrary to these claims, the prime minister does not rule out construction.” Indicating though that international diplomatic concerns would impact such decisions, the statement continued “he [Netanyahu] is promoting the settlement enterprise in a wise and responsible manner given a complex international reality.”

In 2010, Netanyahu institute a ten-month moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank, in order to help facilitate peace talks with the Palestinian Authority (PA). However, the PA agreed to the short-lived talks only during the final month of the freeze. Recently it was reported that in a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Mogherini, Netanyahu proposed negotiations with the Palestinian Authority to define the limits of Israel’s settlement blocks.