"Since the end of the settlement freeze at the end of September, at least 100 buildings are now under construction in the West Bank," Peace Now's secretary-general, Yariv Oppenheimer, said.

In November 2009, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implemented a freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank, but he refused to renew the ban after it expired on Sept. 26, despite intense international pressure.

"The illegal building being carried out without the necessary permits from the authorities is taking place both in existing settlements and outposts," Oppenheimer said.

"If an Israeli built under the same circumstances in Tel Aviv for example, it would all be destroyed on the spot and he would be brought to justice."

Settlement construction on occupied land in the West Bank and Jerusalem remains one of the thorniest issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and sunk the last round of direct talks between the two sides.

In another blow to the peace process, Israel is invoking an arcane military law to try to temporarily expel a Palestinian protest leader from his native East Jerusalem.

Adnan Gheith, a 35-year-old local leader of Fatah, has been in and out of Israeli jails over the past two decades for demonstrating against the occupation of Palestinian territory. He says Israel is trying to punish him for those protests.

The order appears to be part of a wider Israeli crackdown on opponents of its policies toward the Palestinians.

Putting international pressure on Israel, Uruguay's foreign minister said Thursday his country plans to join Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia in recognizing a Palestinian state.

Minister Luis Almagro told reporters that the decision to formally recognize a sovereign Palestinian state has been taken, though officials are studying the implications of that decision with regard to international law and politics.

Almagro did not say if Jerusalem will be recognized as capital of the state, or what borders might be recognized.