JERUSALEM, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Israel's newly-started construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank increased threefold in the second quarter of 2018 compared to the first quarter, according to a report released Monday by the Central Bureau of Statistics.

According to the data, Israel began to construct 794 housing units in Jewish settlements in this area in the second quarter, compared with 279 in the first quarter.

This is the highest number in the West Bank since the last quarter of 2016, during which the right-wing government began building 897 units.

The number of quarterly newly-started homes in 2017 ranged between 343 and 476.