The 5,000 Palestinians living on the small territory separating East Jerusalem from the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim have been ordered to evacuate. The operation to destroy their homes could begin as early as Thursday,

Israel on Wednesday gave final approval for a long-disputed settlement project in the occupied West Bank, a move that Palestinians and rights groups warn could split the territory in two and deal a devastating blow to prospects for a future Palestinian state.

The global community generally considers such settlements to be illegal and a hindrance to a peace deal between Israel and Palestinian.