Quds city, April 18, SPA -- The Israeli government on Monday issued a tender seeking bids for construction of 50 new homes in a West Bank settlement, raising the risk of new tensions with the United States. Yaakov Harel, spokesman for the Israel Lands Authority, said the homes would be built in Elkana, a settlement near the line between Israel and the West Bank. He said infrastructure work has been completed, and construction of the homes could begin in two or three months. The U.S.-backed "road map" peace plan calls for a halt in all settlement expansion, and President George W. Bush last week criticized such construction during a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.