Washington, Aug 24, SPA -- Israel is committed to working toward a freeze on the construction of new settlements in the West Bank, a U.S. State Department spokesman said Monday. Adam Ereli, a department spokesman, said during a press briefing that the announcement by Israeli officials to proceed with new settlements inthe West Bank does not mean the road map peace plan is dead. American officials still believe that resolving the settlement issue is critical to having a two-state solution in the region. "I think it's wrong to write that somehow the United States is condoning or supporting or otherwise [ignoring] agreements made in the roadmap and at Aqaba," Ereli said. He was referring to roadmap agreement signed by the Israelis and Palestinians in May 2003.--SPA1120 Local Time 0820 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/194577