RAMALLAH, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Thursday accused Israel of destroying the two-state solution with continued settlement expansion.

The ministry made the comments in a statement in response to the Israeli government's approval of the construction of around 1,500 new settlement units in the West Bank.

Israel's escalation of settlement activity in the Palestinian territory has threatened the peace, and has become a "systematic approach" to destroy the two-state solution, said the ministry.

Israeli daily Haaretz reported Thursday that the Israeli Civil Administration has approved the construction of 1,450 settlement units in the West Bank, while at least 13 other new construction plans are pending.

Israeli settlement activity is considered as one of the thorniest issues that have hindered the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks stalled since 2014.

The two-state solution, supported by the United Nations, envisages that Israel and an independent state of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, live side-by-side in peace and security.