JERUSALEM — Israel rejected a wave of American and European condemnations Monday over plans to build thousands of new homes in West Bank settlements, vowing to press forward with the construction in the face of widespread international opposition.

The announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office was likely to deepen a rift that has emerged between Israel and some of its closest allies after the United Nations’ recognition of a Palestinian state last week. The U.N. decision appears to be fueling a tougher international line against Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

Israeli ambassadors were summoned for consultations in five European capitals, and European officials warned of other potential measures against Israel. In Washington, the U.S. said the Israeli actions were “especially damaging” to peace prospects.

Italian Premier Mario Monti and French President Francois Hollande issued a joint statement saying they were “deeply worried” by Israel’s settlement plans. The two men, meeting in Lyon, France, called the Israeli decisions “serious and illegal” and a “serious obstacle” to Mideast peace.

Netanyahu, however, showed no signs of bending. His office said Israel would continue to stand up for its interests “even in the face of international pressure, and there will be no change in the decision taken.”

Europe could potentially play a strong role in any international action against the settlements. Europe is Israel’s largest trade partner, and Israel has a partnership with the European Union giving its exports preferential status.

But divisions within Europe could make it difficult to take any concerted action.

In last week’s decision, the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly recognized a Palestinian state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.

Netanyahu rejects a return to the 1967 lines. His government also fears the Palestinians will use their upgraded status to join the U.N.’s International Criminal Court and pursue war-crimes charges against Israel.

But Israel was joined by only eight other countries in opposing the bid. Its closest European allies - Britain, Germany, Italy and France - all abstained or voted with the Palestinians.

Israel has condemned the vote as an attempt by the Palestinians to bypass negotiations. In particular, Netanyahu’s government says, it undermines any chance of negotiations over future border arrangements by endorsing the Palestinians’ territorial demands.

Just hours after Thursday’s vote, Israel announced plans to build 3,000 new homes in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. It also said it would begin plans to develop a sensitive part of the West Bank just outside of Jerusalem.

Although construction is likely years off at best, the mere intention to build in the area known as “E1” is potentially explosive because of its strategic location in the middle of the West Bank. Israel also said it was withholding a regularly scheduled tax transfer to the Palestinians and using the money to pay off Palestinian debts to Israeli utilities.

After a flurry of angry European protests over the weekend, the Israeli ambassadors to Britain, France, Spain, Sweden and Denmark were all summoned by their hosts Monday.

“I set out the depth of the U.K.’s concern about these decisions and I called on the Israeli government to reverse them. The settlements plan in particular has the potential to alter the situation on the ground on a scale that threatens the viability of a two-state solution,” said Alistair Burt, Britain’s minister for Mideast affairs.

Senior Palestinian official Nabil Shaath praised the Europeans for taking action.

“We’ve been expecting this kind of behavior for a long time,” Shaath said. “For this to come from France and England is very beneficial to us. We highly appreciate it and we are hoping the U.S. will follow their lead.”

Later Monday, the Obama administration also harshly criticized Israel, its top Mideast ally, over the planned construction.

“We reiterate our longstanding opposition to Israeli settlement activity and East Jerusalem construction,” White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters. “We oppose all unilateral actions, including settlement activity and housing construction, as they complicate efforts to resume direct, bilateral negotiations and risk prejudging the outcome of those negotiations.”

At the State Department, spokesman Mark Toner said the E1 plans are “especially damaging” to prospects for a resumption in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

The fate of Jewish settlements is at the heart of the current four-year impasse in Mideast peacemaking. The Palestinians say continued settlement construction is a sign of bad faith, and they refuse to return to the negotiating table unless Israel stops the building. More than500,000 Israelis now live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

Israeli officials say the Palestinians have negotiated with previous governments while settlement construction took place. They also note that even when Netanyahu imposed a 10-month partial freeze on construction in 2009 and 2010, there were no serious peace talks. Netanyahu says negotiations should begin immediately, without any preconditions.

But last week’s U.N. vote appears to have marked a turning point. While the U.S. and Europe have long opposed the settlements, their new condemnations used especially sharp language, and rarely are Israeli ambassadors publicly grilled.

British government officials said that the EU would be looking to President Barack Obama for leadership on the matter, and that British diplomats were in touch with American counterparts in London.

Officials in Britain, France, Spain, Sweden and Denmark all said that no specific threats were made during Monday’s meetings.

The diplomatic process is likely to remain on hold in the coming weeks as Israel prepares for new parliamentary elections. According to opinion polls, Netanyahu is expected to win re-election as head of a hard-line coalition dominated by pro-settler politicians.

Information for this article was contributed by Lori Hinnant, Jill Lawless, Matthew Lee, Louise Nordstrom, Juergen Baetz and Lauren E. Bohn of The Associated Press.

Front Section, Pages 6 on 12/04/2012