BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Panama on Wednesday summoned Israel's ambassador to protest Israel's decision to expand Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, Hebrew media reported.

Panama was one of nine countries to vote against a resolution upgrading Palestine to a non-member state of the UN in November.

Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi on Wednesday summoned the Israeli ambassador to a meeting to express strong disapproval of Israel's settlement expansion plans, the foreign ministry in Rome said.

The European Union and individual countries including Britain, France, Spain, Sweden and Denmark have already summoned Israeli ambassadors over the settlement issue.